Fisher v Nonconformist Pty Ltd [2024] NSWCA 32

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Fisher v Nonconformist Pty Ltd [2024] NSWCA 32 Hearing dates: 10 November 2023 Date of orders: 20 February 2024 Decision date: 20 February 2024 Before: Meagher JA at [1]; Kirk JA at [2]; Simpson AJA at [149] Decision: In each proceeding: Appeal dismissed. Catchwords: APPELLATE REVIEW – appeal from Personal Injury Commission – Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (NSW) s 353(1) – nature of appellate review – whether error in point of law – meaning of aggrieved in point of law – requirement that appeal identifies a point of law in relation to the decision of the presidential member – failure to recognise error of law generally an error of law WORKERS' COMPENSATION – entitlement to compensation following death of worker – Workers' Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) s 9A – alleged misdirection as to proper legal test – alleged constructive failure to exercise jurisdiction – alleged failure to give adequate reasons – limits of judicial review – causation involves evaluative question of fact – no constructive failure to exercise jurisdiction – no failure to give adequate reasons CAUSATION – meaning of "substantial contributing factor" in s 9A of Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) – s 9A a more stringent causation test than "arising out of employment" in s 4(a) – Member found that causation not made out – issue of substantial contribution did not arise – requirement that risk "came home"– similarity to the position in tort – increase in risk insufficient of itself to establish causation for purposes of s 9A – meaning of "common sense" causation – common sense causation connotes a number of ideas – no error in use of common sense causation here Legislation Cited: District Court Act 1973 (NSW) s 142N Personal Injury Commission Rules 2021 (NSW) r 78 Health Practitioners Regulation National Law Act 2009 (NSW) s 162 Dust Diseases Tribunal Act 1989 (NSW) s 32(1) Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (NSW) ss 294, 352-353 Workers' Compensation Act 1926 (NSW) Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) ss 4, 9, 9A, 9B, 25 Workmen's Compensation Act 1925, 15 & 16 Geo 5, c 84 Cases Cited: Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Moubarak [2009] HCA 48; (2009) 239 CLR 420 Adelaide Stevedoring Co Ltd v Forst [1940] HCA 45; (1940) 64 CLR 538 Allianz Australia Insurance Limited v GSF Australia Pty Limited [2005] HCA 26; (2005) 221 CLR 568 Altaranesi v Administrative Decisions Tribunal [2012] NSWCA 19 Amaca Pty Limited v Gatt [2022] NSWCA 151 Amaca Pty Ltd v A B & P Constructions Pty Ltd [2007] NSWCA 220; (2007) Aust Torts Reports 81-910 Amaca Pty Ltd v Booth [2011] HCA 53; (2011) 246 CLR 36 Amaca Pty Ltd v Doughan [2011] NSWCA 169 Amaca Pty Ltd v Ellis [2010] HCA 5; (2010) 240 CLR 111 Amaca Pty Ltd v New South Wales [2003] HCA 44; (2003) 77 ALJR 1509 Amaca Pty Ltd v Raines [2018] NSWCA 216 Attorney-General (NSW) v X [2000] NSWCA 199; (2000) 49 NSWLR 653 B & L Linings Pty Limited v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue [2008] NSWCA 187; (2008) 74 NSWLR 481 Badawi v Nexon Asia Pacific Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 324; (2009) 75 NSWLR 503 Bendix Mintex Pty Limited v Barnes (1997) 42 NSWLR 307 CGU Insurance Limited v AAI Limited [2016] NSWCA 335 Comcare v Martin [2016] HCA 43; (2016) 258 CLR 467 Conway v The Queen [2002] HCA 2; (2002) 209 CLR 203 Craig v South Australia [1995] HCA 58; (1995) 184 CLR 163 Cruceanu v Vix Technology (Aust) Ltd [2020] NSWCA 203 Day v SAS Trustee Corp [2009] NSWCA 222; (2009) 187 IR 338 Day v SAS Trustee Corporation [2021] NSWCA 71 Dover Navigation Co Ltd v Craig [1940] AC 190 Dranichnikov v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs [2003] HCA 26; (2003) 77 ALJR 1088 Edyp v Brazbuild Pty Ltd [2011] NSWCA 218 Elzahed v State of New South Wales [2018] NSWCA 103; (2018) 97 NSWLR 898 Fisher v Nonconformist Pty Ltd [2023] NSWPICPD 12 Gerlach v Clifton Bricks Pty Ltd [2002] HCA 22; (2002) 209 CLR 478 Gittani Stone Pty Limited v Pavkovic [2007] NSWCA 355 Goodwin v Commissioner of Police [2010] NSWCA 239 Goodwin v Commissioner of Police [2012] NSWCA 379 Gorman v NSW Health Care Complaints Commission [2012] NSWCA 251 Gould v Vaggelas [1984] HCA 68; (1984) 157 CLR 215 Haritos v Commissioner of Taxation [2015] FCAFC 92; (2015) 233 FCR 315 Health Care Complaints Commission v Karalasingham [2007] NSWCA 267 Health Care Complaints Commission v Wingate [2007] NSWCA 326; (2007) 70 NSWLR 323 Henville v Walker [2001] HCA 52; (2001) 206 CLR 459 Hetherington v Amalgamated Collieries of WA Ltd [1939] HCA 36; (1939) 62 CLR 317 Hunt & Hunt Lawyers v Mitchell Morgan Nominees Pty Ltd [2013] HCA 10; (2013) 247 CLR 613 Kirk v Industrial Court of New South Wales [2010] HCA 1; (2010) 239 CLR 531 Kostas v HIA Insurance Services Pty Ltd [2010] HCA 32; (2010) 241 CLR 390 Leichhardt Council v Roads & Traffic Authority of NSW [2006] NSWCA 353; (2006) 149 LGERA 439 Lewis v Australian Capital Territory [2020] HCA 26; (2020) 271 CLR 192 Lindsay v Health Care Complaints Commission [2010] NSWCA 194 Macedonian Orthodox Community Church St Petka Incorporated v His Eminence Petar The Diocesan Bishop of The Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand [2008] HCA 42; (2008) 237 CLR 66 March v E & M H Stramare Pty Ltd [1991] HCA 12; (1991) 171 CLR 506 Marshall v Director General, Department of Transport [2001] HCA 37; (2001) 205 CLR 603 Melino v Roads and Maritime Services [2018] NSWCA 251; (2018) 98 NSWLR 625 Mercer v ANZ Banking Group Ltd [2000] NSWCA 138; (2000) 48 NSWLR 740 Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission v May [2016] HCA 19; (2016) 257 CLR 468 Ming v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2022] NSWCA 209; (2022) 109 NSWLR 604 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZMTA [2019] HCA 3; (2019) 264 CLR 421 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZVFW [2018] HCA 30; (2018) 264 CLR 541 Mt Pleasant Stud Farm Pty Ltd v McCormick [2022] NSWCA 191 MZAPC v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2021] HCA 17; (2021) 273 CLR 506 Nunan v Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Co Ltd (1941) 41 SR (NSW) 119 Kooragang Cement Pty Ltd v Bates (1994) 35 NSWLR 452 Patrick Operations Pty Limited v Comcare [2006] NSWCA 142; (2006) 68 NSWLR 131 Pettitt v Dunkley [1971] 1 NSWLR 376 Plaintiff M1/2021 v Minister for Home Affairs [2022] HCA 17; (2022) 96 ALJR 497 Public Service Board of NSW v Osmond [1986] HCA 7; (1986) 159 CLR 656 Queensland v Masson [2020] HCA 28; (2020) 94 ALJR 785 Re Alcan Australia Ltd; Ex parte Federation of Industrial, Manufacturing and Engineering Employees [1994] HCA 34; (1994) 181 CLR 96 Roads and Traffic Authority v Royal [2008] HCA 19; (2008) 82 ALJR 870 SAS Trustee Corporation v Pearce [2009] NSWCA 302 Secretary, Department of Education v Dawking [2024] NSWCA 4 Seltsam Pty Limited v Ghaleb [2005] NSWCA 208 Seltsam Pty Limited v McGuiness [2000] NSWCA 29; (2000) 49 NSWLR 262 Strong v Woolworths Ltd [2012] HCA 5; (2012) 246 CLR 182 Tapp v Australian Bushmen's Campdraft & Rodeo Association Ltd [2022] HCA 11; (2022) 273 CLR 454 TC (by his tutor Sabatino) v New South Wales [2001] NSWCA 380 Tudor Capital Australia Pty Limited v Christensen [2017] NSWCA 260 Walker Corporation Pty Limited v Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority [2008] HCA 5; (2008) 233 CLR 259 Wallace v Kam [2013] HCA 19; (2013) 250 CLR 375 Wardley Australia Ltd v Western Australia [1992] HCA 55; (1992) 175 CLR 514 Weiss v The Queen [2005] HCA 81; (2005) 224 CLR 300 Wingfoot Australia Partners Pty Ltd v Kocak [2013] HCA 43; (2013) 252 CLR 480 Workers Compensation (Dust Diseases) Board of NSW v Smith [2010] NSWCA 19 Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer v Hill [2020] NSWCA 54; (2020) 295 IR 172 Yates Property Corp Pty Ltd (in liq) v Darling Harbour Authority (1991) 24 NSWLR 156 Young v Chief Executive Officer (Housing) [2023] HCA 31; (2023) 97 ALJR 840 Zickar v MGH Plastic Industries Pty Ltd [1996] HCA 31; (1996) 187 CLR 310 Zinc Corporation Ltd v Scarce (1995) 12 NSWCCR 566 Texts Cited: Attorney-General for New South Wales, Second Reading Speech (Legislative Council, 26 November 1996, Hansard at 6509–6510) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Proceedings 2023/123158