Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions v Joyce

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Court: Federal Court
• Judgment Date: 29 November 2022
• Neutral Citation: [2022] FCA 1423
• Date: 29 November 2022

Federal Court of Australia

Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions v Joyce [2022] FCA 1423

File number(s):	NSD 1149 of 2021
Judgment of:	ABRAHAM J
Date of judgment:	29 November 2022
Catchwords:	CRIMINAL LAW – sentencing – cartel conduct – offender pleaded guilty to aiding, abetting, counselling, procuring or being knowingly concerned in two offences of giving effect to a cartel provision and one attempt of attempting to make a contract, arrangement or understanding containing a cartel provision – offender admitted seven additional offences – offender was export manager of company generating revenue from sale of SNBB, hyoscine hydrobromide and Duboisia leaf
Legislation:	Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) ss 2, 44ZZRF(1), 44ZZRG(1), 45AF(1), 45AG(1), 79(1)(aa), 79(1)(a), 79(1)(b), 79(1)(c), 86E(1A) Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) ss 16A, 16AC, 16BA, 16C, 19AC(1), 19AC(4), s 19AF(1), 20(1), 20AB Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) ss 44ZZRF(1), 44ZZRG(1), 79(1)(a), 79(1)(c) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) ss 7(1), 53A, 17A, 17C(1), 66(1), 66(2), 73, 73A
Cases cited:	Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v Pattinson [2022] HCA 13; (2022) 175 ALD 383 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited [2016] FCA 1516; (2016) 118 ACSR 124 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Visy Industries Holdings Pty Ltd (No 3) [2007] FCA 1617; (2007) 244 ALR 673 Bae v R [2020] NSWCCA 35 Cahyadi v The Queen [2007] NSWCCA 1; (2007) 168 A Crim R 41 Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions v Vina Money Transfer Pty Ltd [2022] FCA 665 Decision Restricted [2022] NSWCCA 24 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Beattie [2017] NSWCCA 301 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd [2019] FCA 1170; (2019) 137 ACSR 75 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha [2017] FCA 876; (2017) 254 FCR 235 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Page [2006] VSCA 224 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean AS [2021] FCA 52; (2021) 386 ALR 98 GAS v The Queen; SJK v The Queen [2004] HCA 22; (2004) 217 CLR 198 Hili v The Queen; Jones v The Queen [2010] HCA 45; (2010) 242 CLR 520 Ibrahim v R [2022] NSWCCA 161 Isaac v R [2012] NSWCCA 195 Kabir v R [2020] NSWCCA 139 Kenny v R [2010] NSWCCA 6 Khalid v R [2020] NSWCCA 73; (2020) 102 NSWLR 160 Lee v R [2020] NSWCCA 307 Mandranis v R [2021] NSWCCA 97 Markarian v The Queen [2005] HCA 25; (2005) 228 CLR 357 Mourtada v R [2021] NSWCCA 211 Postiglione v The Queen [1997] HCA 26; (1997) 189 CLR 295 R v Baldrock [2010] WASCA 170; (2010) 269 ALR 674 R v Douar [2005] NSWCCA 455 R v El Hani [2004] NSWCCA 162 R v Fangaloka [2019] NSWCCA 173 R v Gallagher (1991) 23 NSWLR 220 R v Gent [2005] NSWCCA 370; (2005) 162 A Crim R 29 R v Hamieh [2010] NSWCCA 189 R v Hunter (1984) 36 SASR 101 R v Jones [2004] VSCA 68 R v Kennedy [2000] NSWCCA 527 R v Olbrich [1999] HCA 54; (1999) 199 CLR 270 R v Pullen [2018] NSWCCA 264; (2018) 87 MVR 47 R v Zamagias [2002] NSWCCA 17 Rich v Australian Securities & Investments Commission [2004] HCA 42; (2004) 220 CLR 129 Ryan v The Queen [2001] HCA 21; (2001) 206 CLR 267 SZ v The Queen [2007] NSWCCA 19; (2007) 168 A Crim R 249 Totaan v R [2022] NSWCCA 75; (2022) 400 ALR 578 Wany v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2020] NSWCA 318; (2020) 103 NSWLR 620 Weininger v The Queen [2003] HCA 14; (2003) 212 CLR 629 Wong v The Queen [2001] HCA 64; (2001) 207 CLR 584
Division:	General Division
Registry:	New South Wales
National Practice Area:	Federal Crime and Related Proceedings
Number of paragraphs:	198
Date of last submission/s:	8 November 2022
Date of hearing:	16 September 2022, 8 November 2022
Counsel for the Prosecutor:	Ms G Wright SC with Mr R Yezerski and Mr C Tran
Solicitor for the Prosecutor:	Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions
Counsel for the Offender:	Mr P Strickland SC with Ms T Epstein
Solicitor for the Offender:	HWL Ebsworth Lawyers

ORDERS

		NSD 1149 of 2021
BETWEEN:	COMMONWEALTH DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS Prosecutor
AND:	CHRISTOPHER KENNETH JOYCE Offender

order made by:	ABRAHAM J
DATE OF ORDER:	29 November 2022

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1. Christopher Kenneth Joyce is convicted of Charge 1, Charge 2 and Charge 3 of the indictment attached as Annexure A.

2. Christopher Kenneth Joyce is sentenced to an aggregate sentence of 32 months imprisonment.

3. Pursuant to s 7(1) of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), the sentence be served by way of intensive correction in the community.

4. The standard conditions prescribed by s 73 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) apply, that is:

   1. Christopher Kenneth Joyce must not commit an offence; and

   2. Christopher Kenneth Joyce must submit to supervision by a community corrections officer.

5. The following additional condition applies:

   1. Christopher Kenneth Joyce must perform community service work for 400 hours.

6. Christopher Kenneth Joyce is to report to the City Community Corrections Office as soon as practicable after but not later than 7 days after the date of this order.

7. Christopher Kenneth Joyce is fined the sum of $50,000.

8. Christopher Kenneth Joyce is disqualified from managing corporations, pursuant to s 86E(1A) of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) for a period that begins on the date of this order and ends on 29 November 2027.

Note: Entry of orders is dealt with in Rule 39.32 of the Federal Court Rules 2011.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

ABRAHAM J:

1. Christopher Kenneth Joyce is to be sentenced for cartel offences contrary to the provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) (TPA) and Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) (CCA) which relate to a number of contracts, arrangements or understandings (CAUs) given effect to or attempted to be made during the course of Mr Joyce’s work as the Export Manager for Alkaloids of Australia Pty Limited (AOA). Mr Joyce also admits seven additional offences under the TPA and CCA that are to be taken into account.

Background

2. AOA is an Australian company which produces scopolamine N-butylbromide (also known as hyoscine butylbromide) (SNBB) and hyoscine hydrobromide. SNBB is manufactured from the alkaloid scopolamine (also known as hyoscine), which is extracted from plants, including the native Duboisia plant. SNBB is the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in some...