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MULWAREE SHIRE COUNCIL v BEZZINA
SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES COURT OF APPEAL
MAHONEY, PRIESTLEY and POWELL JJA
9 June 1995, 9 June 1995
[1995] NSWCA 303
WORKERS COMPENSATION ACT — TABLE OF COMPENSATION FOR
PERMANENT INJURIES — construction of para(g) of Interpretation paragraphs
of Table following s73 of Act — appellant sought leave to re-argue authority — leave
not granted.
ORDERS Appeal dismissed with costs.
Priestley JA This is an appeal by an employer against awards made in favour
of the respondent worker. The appeal seeks to raise two points, the first a question
of law and the second a question of fact which would only arise if the appellant
succeeded on the question of law.
That position became clear in the course of argument and observations made
by counsel for the appellant. The court therefore had to look first to the question
of law. This concerns the construction of transitional provisions in Schedule 6 Pt6
of the Workers Compensation Act 1987 and para(g) of what is now called the
Interpretation paragraphs of the table which follows s73 of the Act.
The first problem the appellant encounters is that the particular questions of
construction which are sought to be raised in this appeal have been dealt with in
a number of cases in this court. It is therefore necessary for the appellant to obtain
the leave of the court to re-argue the correctness of those decisions. Similar
applications have been made in some of the decisions themselves which the
appellant now seeks to challenge and leave has been refused.
There seems to be no reason why the court on this occasion should alter its
attitude to the question of whether leave for re-argument should be granted. The
cases which the appellant seeks to have this court say are wrongly decided are
Clutha Ltd v Danswan, (1993) 9 NSWCCR 225, TAFE v Pitt, (1993) 9
NSWCCR 309 JA Crockett Pty Ltd v Cox, (Court of Appeal, unreported, 26
October 1994), Wilkes v State Rail Authority, (Court of Appeal unreported, 2
February 1995), Australian Iron and Steel Pty Ltd v Nixon, (Court of Appeal,
unreported 13 April 1995) and Leonie Holdings Pty Ltd v JW Kirkwood Pty Ltd,
(Court of Appeal, unreported 9 June 1995).
It is my view that the court should not accede to the application for leave to
re-argue This same bench was sitting in Crockett v Cox and reasons were there
given why leave should not be granted to re-open this point and I see no need to
re-state what was there said.
On this basis the point of law upon which the appellant seeks to rely is not
open. That being so the question of fact which the appellant also would seek to
raise if successful on the first point does not arise.
It follows the appeal should be dismissed with costs
Mahoney JA I agree.
Powell JA I also agree.
2 UNREPORTED JUDGMENTS
Appeal dismissed with costs.
Counsel for the Appellant: JL SHARPE
Solicitors for the Appellant: FIRTHS
Counsel for the Respondent: JE MACONACHIE QC/RJ GOODRIDGE
Solicitors for the Respondent: VANDERVORDS
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