The Environmental Group Ltd v Bowd [2019] FCA 951

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

The Environmental Group Ltd v Bowd [2019] FCA 951 File numbers: VID 497 of 2017 VID 580 of 2017

Judge: STEWARD J

Date of judgment: 21 June 2019

Catchwords: INDUSTRIAL LAW – termination of employment – where employee reported in a CEO report financial irregularities to the board – where employee made a complaint to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission alleging serious fraud within the company before completion of an audit – where employee took personal leave – where employee's lawyers prepared a letter to the company recording grievances – whether employee exercised a workplace right – whether a "complaint" for the purposes of s 341(1)(c)(ii) of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) must be made in good faith – whether a complaint "in relation to" an employee's employment must be directed at or concerned with that person's employment in a substantive way – whether Pt 9.4AAA of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) is a "workplace law" – whether adverse action was taken – whether an investigation into an employee's conduct constituted adverse action – where employee's dismissal was purportedly a product of the breakdown of the relationship between the board and employee – whether adverse action was taken "because" of the exercise of a workplace right CORPORATIONS – protection for whistleblowers – whether employee had reasonable grounds to suspect contraventions of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) – whether disclosure was made in good faith – whether complaint was made for a secondary purpose CONTRACTS – breach of contract – whether employee breached contract by retaining company property after termination COPYRIGHT – acts not constituting copyright infringement – whether copying was done for the purposes of a judicial proceeding – whether the possibility of a future proceeding is sufficient for the purposes of s 43 of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth)