Orchard, David John v Comrie, N (Chief Commissioner of Police) & Ors Gehrig, Patrick Bernard v Comrie, N (Chief Commissioner of Police) & Ors Glasgow, Allan Stuart v Comrie, N (Chief Commissioner of Police) & Ors [1998] FCA 45

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - whether abuse of process - applicants commenced proceedings in Supreme Court of Victoria seeking certiorari and declarations ("judicial review proceeding") - separate applications for relief before the Federal Court in which applicants claimed unlawful termination of employment pursuant to Div 3 Pt VIA Workplace Relations Act 1996 ("termination proceeding") - judicial review proceeding cross-vested to Federal Court - whether judicial review proceeding constitutes abuse of process - whether commencement of termination proceeding constituted election by applicants not to pursue judicial review proceeding - whether commencement of termination proceeding constituted waiver by applicant of right to pursue judicial review proceeding - whether commencement of termination proceeding estopped applicant from pursuing judicial review proceeding. PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - whether State of Victoria should be a party to the judicial review proceeding - principle to apply in considering whether a person should be party to a proceeding. ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - preliminary recommendation required to be taken into account by final decision maker - whether maker of preliminary recommendation can attract certiorari - whether preliminary recommendation constitutes a "decision" as defined in the Administrative Law Act 1978 (Vict).

Jurisdiction of Courts (Cross-Vesting) Act 1987 (Vict) Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth), Div 3 Pt VIA Police Regulation Act 1958 (Vict), s 86AA Administrative Law Act 1978 (Vict) s 2 David John Orchard v Victoria Police (Marshall J, 6 February 1998, unreported), discussed Karl Konrad v Victoria Police (Marshall J, 22 January 1988, unreported), discussed Hot Holdings Pty Ltd v Creasy (1996) 185 CLR 149, applied News Limited v Australian Rugby Football League Limited (1996) 64 FCR 410, applied Webster v Lampard (1993) 177 CLR 598, applied