Pattinson v Australian Building and Construction Commissioner [2020] FCAFC 177

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Pattinson v Australian Building and Construction Commissioner [2020] FCAFC 177 Appeal from: Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v Pattinson [2019] FCA 1654

File number: VID 1220 of 2019

Judges: ALLSOP CJ, BESANKO, WHITE, WIGNEY AND BROMWICH JJ

Date of judgment: 16 October 2020

Catchwords: INDUSTRIAL LAW – civil penalties – agreed contraventions – false or misleading statement about an obligation to engage in "industrial activity" – determination of appropriate penalty – principles relating to imposition of pecuniary penalties – whether principle of proportionality, drawn from criminal law, is applicable – discussion of principle of proportionality as applied in criminal law – whether history of contravening should inform the court's assessment of an appropriate penalty in the instant case – whether imposition of maximum penalties to serial recidivist justified – whether total penalty manifestly excessive – whether cooperation can be treated as a factor in mitigation warranting a discount on penalty where unaccompanied by contrition

Legislation: Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) ss 347(a), 349(1), 363, 545, 546, 547

Cases cited: A & L Silvestri Pty Limited v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union [2008] FCA 466 Amos v McCarron [2017] ACTSC 6 Auimatagi v Australian Building and Construction Commissioner [2018] FCAFC 191; 267 FCR 268 Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union [2017] FCAFC 53; 249 FCR 458 Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union [2017] FCAFC 113; 254 FCR 68 Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union [2018] HCA 3; 262 CLR 157 Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (Syme Library Case) (No 2) [2019] FCA 1555 Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (The Nine Brisbane Sites Appeal) [2019] FCAFC 59; 269 FCR 262 Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v Hassett [2019] FCA 855 Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v Powell (No 2) [2019] FCA 972 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v ABB Transmission and Distribution Limited [2001] FCA 383; ATPR ¶41-815 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd [2016] FCA 1516; 118 ACSR 124 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Cement Australia Pty Ltd [2017] FCAFC 159; 258 FCR 312 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Dataline.Net.Au Pty Ltd (in liquidation) [2007] FCAFC 146; 161 FCR 513 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Hillside (Australia New Media) Pty Ltd (No 2) [2016] FCA 698 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v J McPhee & Son (Australia) Pty Ltd (No 5) [1998] FCA 310; ATPR ¶41-628 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Reckitt Benckiser (Australia) Pty Ltd [2016] FCAFC 181; 340 ALR 25 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v TPG Internet Pty Ltd [2013] HCA 54; 250 CLR 640 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Yazaki Corporation [2018] FCAFC 73; 262 FCR 243 Australian Ophthalmic Supplies Pty Ltd v McAlary-Smith [2008] FCAFC 8; 165 FCR 560 Australian Securities and Investment Commission v Adler [2002] NSWSC 483; 42 ACSR 80 Barbaro v The Queen [2014] HCA 2; 253 CLR 58 Baumer v The Queen [1988] HCA 67; 166 CLR 51 Bensegger v The Queen [1979] WAR 65 Benter v Western Australia [2005] WASCA 245 Birch v Fitzgerald (1975) 11 SASR 114 Bugmy v The Queen [1990] HCA 18; 169 CLR 525 Cain v Glass (No 2) (1985) 3 NSWLR 230 Cassell & Co Ltd v Broome [1972] AC 1027 Chester v The Queen [1988] HCA 62; 165 CLR 611 Comcare v Banerji [2019] HCA 23; 372 ALR 42 Commonwealth of Australia v Director, Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate [2015] HCA 46; 258 CLR 482 Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union v Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (The Broadway on Ann Case) [2018] FCAFC 126; 265 FCR 208 Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union v Australian Building and Construction Commissioner & Anor [2018] HCASL 380 (5 December 2018) Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union v Australian Building and Construction Commissioner [2018] FCAFC 97; 264 FCR 155 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v Australian Building and Construction Commissioner [2016] FCAFC 184; 247 FCR 339 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v Cahill [2010] FCAFC 39; 194 IR 461 Dirbass v The Queen [2018] VSCA 272 Director of Public Prosecutions v Ottewell [1970] AC 642 Director of the Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (No 2) [2015] FCA 1462 Director of the Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (No 2) [2016] FCA 436 Director of the Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate v Robinson [2016] FCA 525; 241 FCR 338 Director, Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union [2015] FCAFC 59; 229 FCR 331 Dixon v Price (1996) 135 FLR 27 Dobson v Tasmania [2017] TASCCA 19; 269 A Crim R 222 Eldridge v Bates [1989] SASC 1268; 51 SASR 532 Elhassan v The Queen [2018] NSWCCA 118 Elias v The Queen [2013] HCA 31; 248 CLR 483 Ellis v The Queen [2005] NTCCA 1; 154 A Crim R 450 Flight Centre Limited v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (No 2) [2018] FCAFC 53; 260 FCR 68 Gapes v Commercial Bank of Australia Ltd [1979] FCA 62; 38 FLR 431 Gilshenan v The Queen [2019] NSWCCA 313 Gommesen v The Queen [2012] NSWCCA 226 Green v The Queen; Quinn v The Queen [2011] HCA 49; 244 CLR 462 Hili v The Queen [2010] HCA 45; 242 CLR 520 Hillier v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2009] NSWCCA 312; 198 A Crim R 565 Hoare v The Queen [1989] HCA 33; 167 CLR 348 Ibbs v The Queen [1987] HCA 46; 163 CLR 447 Keating v Western Australia [2007] WASCA 98; 35 WAR 1 Kelly v Fitzpatrick [2007] FCA 1080; 166 IR 14 Magaming v The Queen [2013] HCA 40; 252 CLR 381 Markarian v The Queen [2005] HCA 25; 228 CLR 357 Marshall v Llewellyn (1995) 79 A Crim R 49 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZVFW [2017] FCAFC 33; 248 FCR 1 Mount Bruce Mining Pty Limited v Wright Prospecting Pty Limited [2015] HCA 37; 256 CLR 104 NW Frozen Foods Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [1996] FCA 1134; 71 FCR 285 Papaconstuntinos v Holmes à Court [2012] HCA 53; 249 CLR 534 Parker v Australian Building and Construction Commissioner [2019] FCAFC 56; 270 FCR 39 Police v Cadd [1997] SASC 6187; 69 SASR 150 Ponzio v B & P Caelli Constructions Pty Ltd [2007] FCAFC 65; 158 FCR 543 R v Baumer (1989) 40 A Crim R 74 R v Bukvic [2010] SASC 195; 107 SASR 405 R v Dole [1975] VR 754 R v Haji-Noor [2007] NTCCA 7; 21 NTLR 127 R v Kilic [2016] HCA 48; 259 CLR 256 R v McInerney (1986) 42 SASR 111 R v McNaughton [2006] NSWCCA 242; 66 NSWLR 566 R v Mulholland (1991) 1 NTLR 1; 102 FLR 465 R v O'Brien [1997] 2 VR 714 R v Omar (1991) 55 A Crim R 373 R v Tait [1979] FCA 32; 46 FLR 386 R v Thompson (1975) 11 SASR 217 R v Tyday [2006] NTSC 29 R v Way [2004] NSWCCA 131; 60 NSWLR 168 R v Young [1990] VR 951; 45 A Crim R 147 Reynolds v Wilkinson (1948) 51 WALR 17 Ryan v The Queen [2001] HCA 21; 206 CLR 267 Scott v Davis [2000] HCA 52; 204 CLR 333 Singtel Optus Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [2012] FCAFC 20; 287 ALR 249 Smith v The Queen [2011] NSWCCA 163 Stokes v The Queen [2020] SASCFC 9 Sultan v Svikart (1989) 96 FLR 457; 42 A Crim R 15 Tabbah v The Queen [2019] NSWCCA 324 Trade Practices Commission v CSR Ltd [1990] FCA 762; [1991] ATPR ¶41-076 Trade Practices Commission v Mobil Oil Australia Limited [1984] FCA 403; 4 FCR 296 Transport Workers Union of Australia v Registered Organisations Commissioner [2018] FCAFC 203; 267 FCR 40 Veen v The Queen [1979] HCA 7; 143 CLR 458 Veen v The Queen (No 2) [1988] HCA 14; 164 CLR 465 Walden v Hensler [1987] HCA 54; 163 CLR 561 Wardrop v The Queen (unreported, High Court of Australia, Barwick CJ, 23 May 1979) Weininger v The Queen [2003] HCA 14; 212 CLR 629 Wong v The Queen [2001] HCA 64; 207 CLR 584