Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Woolworths Limited [2016] FCA 44

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Woolworths Limited [2016] FCA 44 File number: NSD 941 of 2014

Judge: EDELMAN J

Date of judgment: 5 February 2016

Catchwords: CONSUMER LAW – pecuniary penalties – relevant matters – assessment of comparative cases – effect of incommensurability – relevance of previous acknowledgment of likely similar contravention – relevance of payment of compensation by contravening party – whether payment of compensation is only relevant to whether the contravening party is contrite CONSUMER LAW – pecuniary penalties – s 224(4)(b) Australian Consumer Law – meaning of the "same conduct" – effect of the course of conduct principle

Legislation: Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)) ss 18, 29, 29(1)(a), 29(1)(g), 33, 87B, 131, 131(1), 131(2), 131(4), 131(5), 224(2), 224(3), 224(4)(b), 246(2)(a), 246(2)(b), 1330 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 21 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) ss 52, 53(eb)

Cases cited: ACCC v Cotton On Kids Pty Ltd [2012] FCA 1428 ACCC v George Weston Foods Ltd (2000) ATPR 41-763; [2000] FCA 690 Australian Competition & Consumer Commission v Econovite Pty Ltd [2003] FCA 964 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v ABB Transmission and Distribution Ltd (No 2) [2002] FCA 559; (2002) 190 ALR 169 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Apple Pty Ltd [2012] FCA 646 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Limited [2015] FCA 330 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Reebok Australia Pty Ltd [2015] FCA 83 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Singtel Optus Pty Ltd (No 4) [2011] FCA 761; (2011) 282 ALR 246 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Sontax Australia (1988) Pty Ltd [2011] FCA 1202 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v TPG Internet Pty Ltd [2013] HCA 54; (2013) 250 CLR 640 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Woolworths Ltd [2002] FCA 1001; (2002) ASAL 55-085 Commonwealth of Australia v Director, Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate [2015] HCA 46 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v Cahill [2010] FCAFC 39; (2010) 269 ALR 1 Forster v Jododex Aust Pty Ltd [1972] HCA 61; (1972) 127 CLR 421 ICI Australia Operations Pty Ltd v Trade Practices Commission (1992) 38 FCR 248 NW Frozen Foods Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [1996] FCA 1134; (1996) 71 FCR 285 Pearce v The Queen [1998] HCA 57; (1998) 194 CLR 610 Ryan v The Queen [2001] HCA 21; (2001) 206 CLR 267 Singtel Optus Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [2012] FCAFC 20; (2012) 287 ALR 249 Thewlis v The Queen [2008] NSWCCA 176; (2008) 186 A Crim R 279 Trade Practices Commission v CSR Ltd [1991] ATPR 41-076 Weininger v The Queen [2003] HCA 14; (2003) 212 CLR 629 McGregor H, McGregor on Damages (19th ed, Sweet & Maxwell, 2014) 13 [2-001] Chapman B "Law, Incommensurability, and Conceptually Sequenced Argument" (1998) 146 Uni Penn Law Rev 1487 Sunstein C "Incommensurability and Valuation in Law" (1993) 93 Mich Law Rev 779 Schauer F "Instrumental Commensurability" (1998) 146 U Pa L Rev 1215