White v Commissioner of Police [2024] NSWSC 219

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: White v Commissioner of Police [2024] NSWSC 219 Hearing dates: 20 February 2024 Date of orders: 8 March 2024 Decision date: 08 March 2024 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Kirk J Decision: (1) The order to dismiss the plaintiff made by Acting Assistant Commissioner Greg Moore on 19 July 2023 on behalf of the defendant is quashed. (2) Defendant to pay the plaintiff's costs. Catchwords: STATUTORY INTERPRETATION – Power of Commissioner of Police to appoint police officers – Meaning of "position" – Anthony Hordern principle – Extrinsic materials – Seeking to give practical and coherent effect to statutory regime ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Jurisdictional error – Characterisation of exercise of statutory power where multiple powers available – Practical difference in operation of statutory powers under separate provisions – Power of dismissal under s 80(3) of Police Act 1990 (NSW) not available – Dismissal quashed STATUTORY INTERPRETATION – Meaning of "first appointed" – Suggested use of subordinate legislation to construe Act – Not appropriate where subordinate legislation not drafted when Act enacted WORKERS COMPENSATION – Protection of injured workers – Reinstatement of worker – Interaction with police legislation – Implied grant of power to State public sector employers to reinstate workers Legislation Cited: Government Sector Employment (General) Rules 2014 (NSW), Pt 3 Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (NSW), ss 46, 48 Industrial Relations Act 1996 (NSW), Ch 2 Pt 6, s 355C Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), ss 34, 35 Police Act 1990 (NSW) Police Regulation 2015 (NSW) Police Service Act 1990 (NSW) Police Service Regulation 1990 (NSW) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 69 Teaching Service Act 1980 (NSW), s 47A Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW), ss 240-243 Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (NSW), ss 3(b), 49, 52 Cases Cited: Anthony Hordern & Sons Ltd v Amalgamated Clothing & Allied Trades Union of Australia [1932] HCA 9; (1932) 47 CLR 1 Attorney-General (Cth) v Oates [1999] HCA 35; (1999) 198 CLR 162 Australian Broadcasting Tribunal v Saatchi & Saatchi Compton (Vic) Pty Ltd (1985) 10 FCR 1 Australian Education Union v Department of Education and Children's Services [2012] HCA 3; (2012) 248 CLR 1 Blackadder v Ramsey Butchering Services Pty Ltd [2005] HCA 22; (2005) 221 CLR 539 Coleman v Power [2004] HCA 39; (2004) 220 CLR 1 Commissioner of Police (NSW) v Cottle [2022] HCA 7; (2022) 96 ALJR 304 Commissioner of Police (NSW) v Eaton [2013] HCA 2; (2013) 253 CLR 1 Commissioner of Police v Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales [2012] NSWCA 439; (2012) 84 NSWLR 501 CSR Limited v Eddy [2005] HCA 64; (2005) 226 CLR 1 Elazac Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Patents (1994) 53 FCR 86 Great Fingall Consolidated Ltd v Sheehan [1905] HCA 43; (1905) 3 CLR 176 Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority v Whitebull HTL Pty Ltd [2023] NSWCA 224 Kershaw v R [2024] NSWCCA 27 Lee v R [2023] NSWCCA 203 Leon Fink Holdings Proprietary Limited v Australian Film Commission [1979] HCA 26; (1979) 141 CLR 672 Mercantile Mutual Life Insurance Co v Australian Securities Commission (1993) 40 FCR 409 Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Mayer [1985] HCA 70; (1985) 157 CLR 290 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs v Nystrom [2006] HCA 50; (2006) 228 CLR 566 Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs v EVE21 [2023] FCAFC 91; (2023) 298 FCR 57 Mondelez Australia Pty Ltd v Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union [2020] HCA 29; (2020) 271 CLR 495 NEAT Domestic Trading Pty Ltd v AWB Ltd [2003] HCA 35; (2003) 216 CLR 277 PIPE Networks Pty Ltd v Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation (2013) 212 FCR 542 Plaintiff M47/2012 v Director-General of Security [2012] HCA 46; (2012) 251 CLR 1 R v Australian Broadcasting Tribunal; Ex parte 2HD Pty Ltd [1979] HCA 62; (1979) 144 CLR 45 SAS Trustee Corporation v Miles [2018] HCA 55; (2018) 265 CLR 137 Searle v Commonwealth of Australia [2019] NSWCA 127; (2019) 100 NSWLR 55 Texts Cited: DC Pearce, Statutory Interpretation in Australia (LexisNexis, 10th edn, 2024) Minister Pickering, NSW Legislative Council, 2 May 1990, Hansard P Herzfeld and T Prince, Interpretation (Lawbook, 2nd edn, 2020) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Donna White (Plaintiff)