Transport Workers' Union of Australia New South Wales Branch v Australian Document Exchange Pty Ltd trading as Grace Couriers [2000] NSWIRComm 74

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Transport Workers' Union of Australia New South Wales Branch v Australian Document Exchange Pty Ltd trading as Grace Couriers [2000] NSWIRComm 74 PROSECUTOR Transport Workers' Union of Australia New South Wales Branch PARTIES : DEFENDANT Australian Document Exchange Pty Ltd trading as Grace Couriers FILE NUMBER: IRC1928 - 1931 of 1999 CORAM: Marks J CATCHWORDS : Whether proceedings under s129 and s 301 of the Industrial Relations Act 1996 are criminal or civil in nature - "Suspected breach" - Mens rea as an ingredient of a statutory offence - Whether knowledge of the law is relevant for the purpose of establishing mens rea - "Hinder or obstruct" Industrial Relations Act New South Wales 1996 s 129(1)(a) s 129(1)(b) s 168 s 298 s 301(2) s 301(3) s 344 s 357 s 397 s 399 and s 403 Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904 (Cth) s 119 s 120 s 121 and s 122 Industrial Arbitration Act 1940 s 93 LEGISLATION CITED : Interpretation Act 1987 s 34(1) s 35(2)(a) and s 54(1) Fines Act 1996 s 3(1) s 4(1)(a) and s 58 Supreme Court (Summary Jurisdiction) Act 1967 Acts Interpretation Act (Cth) s 41 Li Chia Hsing v Rankin (1978) 141 CLR 182 Evans v Button (1988) 81 ALR 61 Mallan v Lee (1949) 80 CLR 198 Attorney-General v Radloff (1854) 10 EX 84 Attorney-General v Bradlaugh (1885) XIV QBD 667 Comptroller-General v D'Aquino Bros Pty Ltd (1996) 135 ALR 649 Collector of Customs for New South Wales v Reiken (1964-5) NSWR 1167 Platt v Treweneck (1953) 52 AR 642 Ex parte Walsh 12 NSWR 306 Gapes v Commercial Bank of Australia Ltd (1979) 27 ALR 87 CASES CITED : R v Tyler & International Co Ltd (1891) 2 QB 588 Queensland Bacon Pty Ltd v Rees (1965-6) 115 CLR 266 Re Storeman & Packers, Wholesale Drug Store (State) (1951) AR 527 Commissioner for Corporate Affairs v Guardian Investments Pty Ltd (1984) VR 1019 He Kaw Teh v The Queen (1985) 157 CLR 523 Sherras v De Rutzen (1895) 1 QB 918 Reg v Sault STE Marie (1978) 2 SCR 1299 R v Wampfler (1987) 11 NSWLR 541 Australian Federation of Air Pilots v Australian Airlines Ltd (1991) 36 IR 194 R v Taib, Ex parte Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) (1998) 158 ALR 744 Curran v Thomas Bortheick & Sons (Pacific) Ltd (No 1) (1990) 33 IR HEARING DATES: 03/27/2000; 03/28/2000; 03/29/2000 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 05/18/2000