Chandrasekaran v Western Sydney Local Health District (t/as Westmead Hospital) [2023] NSWCA 288

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Chandrasekaran v Western Sydney Local Health District (t/as Westmead Hospital) [2023] NSWCA 288 Hearing dates: 30 and 31 October 2023 Date of orders: 1 December 2023 Decision date: 01 December 2023 Before: Gleeson JA at [1] Leeming JA at [290] Adamson JA at [291] Decision: (1) Appeal allowed in part. (2) Set aside order (1) made in the court below on 29 July 2021. (3) In lieu of order (1) below, direct entry of judgment for the appellant against the first respondent in the sum of $100. (4) Otherwise dismiss the appeal. (5) Paragraph 1 of notice of motion filed 28 March 2023 be dismissed with costs. (6) The appellant's oral application for leave to issue further notices to produce and subpoenas is refused. (7) Subject to order (9) below, the appellant to pay the costs of the first respondent in this Court. (8) The appellant to pay the costs of the second respondent in this Court. (9) In the event that the appellant seeks a different costs order to that in (7) above, direct the appellant to file and serve written submissions within 14 days of the date of these orders, such submissions not to exceed three pages, the first respondent to file and serve within 10 days thereafter written submissions in response, not to exceed three pages. Note that any such application will be determined on the papers. Catchwords: COURTS AND JUDGES — Apprehended bias —Where complaints on appeal concerning evidentiary rulings and time limitation on cross-examination of witness — Whether a fair-minded lay observer might reasonably apprehend that the judge might not bring an impartial and unprejudiced mind to issues — Where no basis identified for finding that judge decided case other than on legal or factual merits COURTS AND JUDGES — Actual bias — Whether judge pre-judged appellant's case — Where no basis for inferring that judge was not open to persuasion CONSUMER LAW — Misleading or deceptive conduct — Whether Health District or recruitment agency misrepresented nature or location of appellant's appointment to provide locum services as visiting medical officer (VMO) — Where appellant confirmed her correct understanding of the nature of locum role in contemporaneous emails and conversations CONTRACTS — Breach of contract — Where appellant agreed to provide locum services as VMO under locum agreement — Where appointment terminated — Whether Health District's discretion in locum agreement to determine amount of work "during the term" of agreement authorised termination EQUITY — Breach of confidence — Where no evidence that Health District received confidential information TORTS — Economic torts — Injurious falsehood — Malice — Where notification concerning appellant made to Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Authority (AHPRA) — Where Health District responded to inquiry from Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) to provide documents and reports — Whether statements made to AHPRA and HCCC involved malice — Where challenge to findings that statements made in good faith TORTS — Economic torts — Injurious falsehood —Where email inadvertently sent by recruitment agency to appellant and another employee of recruitment agency — Whether statement made to third party — Whether email malicious — Where recruitment agency decided not to arrange further VMO placements for appellant APPEALS — From exercise of discretion — Procedural decisions — Where refusal of application to re-open case — Whether House v The King-type error established — Where no such error identified Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 98(1) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 135, 136 Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW), ss 150, 159B Health Services Act 1997 (NSW), ss 90, 98, 105 Public Health Act 2010 (NSW) Public Hospitals (Visiting Medical Officers – Sessional Contracts) Determination 2014 (NSW) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 75A Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 31.23, 42.1, 51.18(1)(e) Cases Cited: ACCC v TPG Internet Pty Limited (2013) 250 CLR 640; [2013] HCA 54 Aldi Foods Pty Ltd v Transport Workers Union of Australia [2017] FCA 1004 AMI Australia Holdings Pty Ltd v Fairfax Media Publications [2009] NSWSC 1290 Akins v National Australia Bank Limited (1994) 34 NSWLR 155 Berry v CCL Secure Pty Ltd (2020) 271 CLR 151; [2020] HCA 27 Butcher v Lachlan Elder Realty Pty Limited (2004) 218 CLR 592; [2004] HCA 60 Chandrasekaran v Western Sydney Local Health District [2023] NSWSC 106 Chandrasekaran v Western Sydney Local Health District [2023] NSWCA 219 Chandrasekaran v Western Sydney Local Health District & Anor (No 4) [2023] NSWCA 253 Campomar v Sociedad Limitada v Nike International Ltd (2000) 202 CLR 45; [2000] HCA 12 Commonwealth v Amann Aviation Pty Ltd (1991) 174 CLR 64; [1991] HCA 54 Concrete Pty Ltd v Parramatta Design & Developments Pty Ltd (2006) 229 CLR 577; [2006] HCA 55 Corrs Pavey Whiting & Byrne v Collector of Customs (Vic) (1987) 14 FCR 434; [1987] FCA 266 Doppstadt Australia Pty Ltd v Lovick & Son Developments Pty Ltd (No 2) [2014] NSWCA 219 Fox v Percy (2003) 214 CLR 118; [2003] HCA 22 Gumland Property Holdings Pty Ltd v Duffy Bros Fruit Market (Campbelltown) Pty Ltd (2008) 234 CLR 237; [2008] HCA 10 Harrison v Schipp (2002) 54 NSWLR 612; [2002] NSWCA 78 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298; [1959] HCA 8 Johnson v Johnson (2000) 201 CLR 488; [2000] HCA 48 Joyce v Sengupta [1993] 1 All ER 897; [1993] 1 WLR 337 Kazal v Thunder Studios Inc (California) [2023] FCAFC 174 Lee v Lee (2019) 266 CLR 129; [2019] HCA 28 Li v Attorney-General of New South Wales (2019) 99 NSWLR 630; [2019] NSWCA 95 Ling v Pang [2023] NSWCA 112 Manly Council v Byrne [2004] NSWCA 123 Maredelanto Compania Naviera SA v Bergbau-Handel GmbH (The Mihalis Angelos) [1971] 1 QB 164 Meehan v Jones (1982) 149 CLR 571; [1982] HCA 52 Micallef v ICI Australia Operations Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 274 Michael Wilson & Partners Ltd v Nicholls (2011) 244 CLR 427; [2011] HCA 48 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs v Jia Legeng (2001) 205 CLR 507; [2001] HCA 17 Monie v Commonwealth (2005) 63 NSWLR 729; [2005] NSWCA 25 National Roads & Motorists' Association Ltd v Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union [2019] FCA 1491; (2019) 291 IR 28 Nowlan v Marson Transport Pty Ltd (2001) 53 NSWLR 116; [2001] NSWCA 346 Palmer Bruyn & Parker Pty Ltd v Parsons (2001) 208 CLR 388; [2001] HCA 69 Phoenix Commercial Enterprises Pty Ltd v City of Canada Bay Council [2010] NSWCA 64 Reece v Webber (2011) 192 FCR 254; [2011] FCAFC 33 Reid v Commercial Club (Albury) Ltd [2014] NSWCA 98 Re JRL; Ex parte CJL (1986) 161 CLR 342; [1986] HCA 39 R v Birks (1990) 19 NSWLR 677 SCAA v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs [2002] FCA 668 Searle v Commonwealth of Australia (2019) 100 NSWLR 55; [2019] NSWCA 127 Shepherd v Felt & Textiles of Australia Ltd (1931) 45 CLR 359; [1931] HCA 21 Smith Kline & French Laboratories (Australia) Ltd & AlphaPharm Pty Ltd v Department of Community Services (1990) 22 FCR 73 Smits v Roach (2006) 227 CLR 423; [2006] HCA 36 Spring v Guardian Assurance plc [1993] 2 All ER 273 State of New South Wales v Stevens (2012) 82 NSWLR 106; [2012] NSWCA 415 TCN Channel 9 Pty Ltd v Hayden Enterprises Pty Ltd (1989) 16 NSWLR 130 Tjiong v Tjiong [2012] NSWCA 201 Toth v State of New South Wales [2022] NSWCA 185 University of Wollongong v Metwally (No 2) (1985) 60 ALR 68; [1985] HCA 28 Water Board v Moustakas (1998) 180 CLR 491; [1998] HCA 12 Texts Cited: Fleming's, The Law of Torts (10th ed, 2011, Thomson Reuters) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Sujatha Chandrasekaran (Appellant) Western Sydney Local Health District (t/as Westmead Hospital) (First respondent) Charterhouse Medical Pty Ltd (Second respondent) Representation: Counsel: S Chandrasekaran (Self-represented) (Appellant) R J Pietriche (First respondent) K Petch (Second respondent)