Supreme Court rejects Carolyn Reynolds’ last ditch Rock Centre appeal to get property back from Darwin Council

Former Rock Centre climbing gym manager Carolyn Reynolds has lost her latest bid to get back control of the property.

Former Rock Centre climbing gym manager Carolyn Reynolds has lost her latest bid to get back control of the property.

FORMER Rock Centre climbing gym manager Carolyn Reynolds has lost her latest bid to wrest control of the property back from the Darwin Council in the Supreme Court.

Ms Reynolds had appealed an earlier ruling affirming the council’s right to repossess the property after her 25-year lease over the premises expired in 2019.

On Monday, the Court of Appeal rejected Ms Reynolds’ application for the proceeding to be adjourned again after she was unable to secure legal representation following an earlier lengthy adjournment.

In dismissing the appeal, Chief Justice Michael Grant also refused Ms Reynolds’ application that he recuse himself on grounds of “bias”.

Ms Reynolds argued the application was based on “dealings” she had with Chief Justice Grant’s brother, Matthew Grant, who is general manager of the NT’s Independent Commission Against Corruption and his sister-in-law Therese Austin who presided over a Local Court hearing in which she was the complainant.

“I know you to be a very great, learned judge but I do know that you have a lot of history with respect to what I’ve been dealing with,” she said.

“I don’t understand how the courts are but right now, your honour, I just feel that it’s not right and it’s unjust, it’s just a perception and feeling I have.”

But Chief Justice Grant said he had “absolutely no idea” about any of those matters and the only substantive basis for the application was an earlier ruling he had made in an unrelated dispute between Ms Reynolds and the chief health officer over the Lake Bennett resort.

Chief Justice Grant found that ruling involved no findings of fact nor any relating to Ms Reynolds’ credibility and a fair minded observer would not conclude he would bring any bias to the current proceeding as a result of his involvement.

“In the circumstances of the present case there is no prospect that the appellant will be able to take the steps necessary in the prosecution of this appeal beyond what she has done to this point in time,” he said in formally dismissing the appeal.

As Chief Justice Grant adjourned the court, a still incensed Ms Reynolds exclaimed “God help the Northern Territory, your honour!”.

Ms Reynolds’ only further avenue for appeal would be a long shot application for special leave to appeal the latest ruling in the High Court of Australia.