References: [2009] HCA 12
Links: Austlii
Coram: French CJ
(High Court of Australia) French CJ said: ‘Private property rights, although subject to compulsory acquisition by statute, have long been hedged about by the common law with protections. These protections are not absolute but take the form of interpretative approaches where statutes are said to affect such rights . . The attribution by Blackstone, of caution to the legislature in exercising its power over private property, is reflected in what has been called a presumption, in the interpretation of statutes, against an intention to interfere with vested property rights . . The terminology of ‘presumption’ is linked to that of ‘legislative intention’. As a practical matter it means that, where a statute is capable of more than one construction, that construction will be chosen which interferes least with private property rights’
This case is cited by:
- Cited – Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd, Regina (on The Application of) -v- Wolverhampton City Council and Another SC (SC, SC Summ, Bailii, [2010] UKSC 20, Bailii Summ, WLRD, Times, [2010] RVR 237, [2010] 20 EG 144, [2010] PTSR 1103, [2010] 2 WLR 1173)
The appellant’s land was to be taken under compulsory purchase by the Council who wished to use it to assist Tesco in the construction of a new supermarket. Tesco promised to help fund restoration of a local listed building. Sainsbury objected an . .