NuCoal Resources has lodged a High Court challenge against the NSW government’s decision to strip it of a coal exploration licence tainted by the involvement of corrupt former energy minister Ian Macdonald .

The mining company said in a statement of claim that the NSW Parliament was exercising powers that should be left to courts in passing a bill earlier this year that stripped the licence from NuCoal without compensation. The claim also said NSW failed to afford NuCoal procedural fairness.