It is customary (at least in the courts where I often practise) that at the conclusion of a hearing, the judge usually thanks counsel for their assistance.
I am not quite sure what happened in Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Hoffnung Ltd (1928) 42 CLR 39 which was (an undoubtedly riveting case) in part about the proper construction of section 15(4) of the War Time Profits Tax Assessment Act, but I’m fairly certain that Starke J didn’t thank counsel. At 62 he said:
Starke J. This is an appeal from the Chief Justice, which was argued by this Court over nine days, with some occasional assistance from the learned and experienced counsel who appeared for the parties. The evidence was taken and the matter argued before the Chief Justice in two days. This case involves two questions, of no transcendent importance, which are capable of brief statement, and could have been exhaustively argued by the learned counsel in a few hours.
So there!
Creative commons acknowledgment for the photograph.
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