Barratt v Howard [1999] FCA 1132

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Barratt v Howard [1999] FCA 1132

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Public Service Act 1922 – whether government officer entitled to procedural fairness prior to termination of employment – where statutory discretion for appointment to and termination of employment – relevance of common law principle that Crown servants hold office at pleasure of the Crown – relevance of legislative history – expressio unius principle – content of procedural fairness – whether employment can be terminated only for cause

Public Service Act 1922 ss 6, 7, 25, 36, 37, 54, 54A, 56, 57, 58, 76D, 76E, Div 6, Div 8A and Sch 3 Public Service Reform Act 1984 Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 ss 3(3) and 6(1)(a) Judiciary Act 1903 s 39B Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act ss 64 and 67 Migration Act 1958 ss 14 and 18 Public Service Amendment (First Division Officers) Act 1976 Prime Minister and Cabinet (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1994

Marks v Commonwealth (1964) 111 CLR 549 cited Coutts v The Commonwealth of Australia (1985) 157 CLR 91 considered Parker v Miller [1998] WASCA 124 cited

Shenton v Smith [1895] AC 229 cited Gould v Stuart [1896] AC 575 cited Fletcher v Nott (1938) 60 CLR 55 referred to Director-General of Education v Suttling (1986) 162 CLR 427 referred to Boswell v Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (1993) 46 FCR 434 cited Bennett v Commonwealth (1980) 44 FLR 446 referred to Dixon v Commonwealth (1981) 55 FLR 34 referred to Malloch v Aberdeen Corporation [1971] 1 WLR 1578 considered Sanders v Snell (1998) 157 ALR 491 cited Rodway v The Queen (1990) 169 CLR 515 referred to Annetts v McCann (1990) 170 CLR 596 applied The Queen v MacKellar; Ex parte Ratu (1977) 137 CLR 461 considered The Commissioner of Police v Tanos (1958) 98 CLR 383 referred to Kioa v West (1985) 159 CLR 550 applied Salemi v MacKellar (No 2) (1977) 137 CLR 396 considered Re Wakim; Ex parte McNally [1999] HCA 27 cited Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Rowe (1997) 187 CLR 266 cited Ousley v R (1997) 148 ALR 510 cited Ainsworth v Criminal Justice Commission (1992) 175 CLR 564 cited Houssein v Under Secretary of Industrial Relations & Technology (NSW) (1982) 148 CLR 88 cited Wentworth v NSW Bar Association (1992) 176 CLR 239 cited PMT Partners Pty Ltd (in liq) v Australian National Parks & Wildlife Service (1995) 184 CLR 301 cited Baba v Parole Board of NSW (1986) 5 NSWLR 338 applied Ridge v Baldwin [1964] AC 40 discussed FAI Insurances Ltd v Winneke (1982) 151 CLR 342 referred to The State of South Australia v O'Shea (1987) 163 CLR 378 referred to The Queen v Anderson; Ex parte Ipec-Air Pty Ltd (1965) 113 CLR 177 referred to The Queen v The Australian Broadcasting Tribunal; Ex parte 2HD Pty Ltd (1979) 144 CLR 45 cited Attorney-General (NSW) v Quin (1990) 170 CLR 1 cited Colpitts v Australian Telecommunications Commission (1986) 9 FCR 52 applied Somaghi v Minister for Immigration, Local Government & Ethnic Affairs (1991) 31 FCR 100 cited Minister for Aboriginal Affairs v Peko-Wallsend Ltd (1986) 162 CLR 24 referred to Evatt, The Royal Prerogative, Law Book Company, 1987 Smith, Public Employment Law, Butterworths, 1987 Hogg, Liability of the Crown (2nd ed), Law Book Company, 1989 PAUL HUNTER BARRATT v JOHN WINSTON HOWARD & ORS N 724 OF 1999 HELY J 19 AUGUST 1999