Prime Marble & Granite Pty Ltd v Safework NSW [2024] NSWCCA 105

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Prime Marble & Granite Pty Ltd v Safework NSW [2024] NSWCCA 105 Hearing dates: 17 May 2024 Date of orders: 24 June 2024 Decision date: 24 June 2024 Before: Harrison CJ at CL at [1]; Hamill J at [49]; N Adams J at [50] Decision: (1) Grant leave to appeal. (2) Allow the appeal. (3) Vacate the orders made in the District Court on 13 February 2024 and, in lieu thereof, order that summons 2023/103537 and summons 2023/103574 be dismissed. Catchwords: APPEALS – employment and industrial law – work health and safety – time limit for SafeWork NSW to commence prosecution under s 232 Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) – whether proceedings commenced in time – when SafeWork NSW had notice of the offence in s 32 Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) – the meaning of the phrase "exposes an individual to a risk" in s 32(c) Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) Legislation Cited: Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 5F(3) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 141 National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NSW), s 190 Work Health & Safety Act 2011 (NSW), ss 19, 32, 232 Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (NSW), r 49 Work Health & Safety Regulation 2017 (NSW), cl 368, sch 14 Cases Cited: Abigroup Contractors Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority (NSW) (2004) 135 IR 317; [2004] NSWIRComm 270. Bulga Underground Operations Pty Ltd v Nash (2016) 93 NSWLR 338; [2016] NSWCCA 37 Cumberland Council v Younan [2018] NSWLEC 145 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Citigroup Global Markets Australia Pty Ltd (No 1 – Indictment) [2021] FCA 757 George v Rocket (1990) 170 CLR 104; [1990] HCA 26 GLJ v The Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Lismore [2023] HCA 32; (2023) 97 ALJR 857 Grasso Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd v SafeWork NSW [2021] NSWCCA 288 Hamilton v DPP (2020) 287 A Crim R 268; [2020] NSWSC 1745 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Kirk v Industrial Court of New South Wales (2010) 239 CLR 531; [2010] HCA 1 Koschier v R [2024] NSWCCA 24 M & S Investments (NSW) Pty Ltd v Affordable Demolitions & Excavations Pty Ltd [2023] NSWLEC 65 McColm v Hamiltons Blasting Services Pty Ltd; McColm v Hamilton [2021] NSWDC 688 R v Board of Trustees of the Science Museum [1993] 3 All ER 853; [1993] 1 WLR 1171 Safework NSW v Astute Earthworks Pty Ltd [2023] NSWDC 131 SafeWork NSW v Edstein Creative Pty Ltd [2022] NSWDC 117 SafeWork NSW v Prime Marble & Granite Pty Ltd [2024] NSWDC 17 Saunders Civilbuild Pty Ltd v SafeWork New South Wales [2023] NSWCCA 261 Somerville v Chief Executive of the Office of Environment and Heritage [2020] NSWCCA 93 Unity Pty Ltd v Safework NSW [2018] NSWCCA 266 Witheyman v Van Riet (2008) 185 A Crim R 492; [2008] QCA 168 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Prime Marble & Granite Pty Ltd (Applicant) Safework NSW (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: R Pontello SC (Applicant) C Magee (Respondent)