Rodney Morrison v Dartbrook Coal Pty Ltd and Tecrete Industries Pty Ltd. [2002] NSWIRComm 127

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Rodney Morrison v Dartbrook Coal Pty Ltd and Tecrete Industries Pty Ltd. [2002] NSWIRComm 127 PROSECUTOR: Rodney Morrison PARTIES : DEFENDANTS: Dartbrook Coal Pty Ltd. Tecrete Industries Pty. Ltd. FILE NUMBER: IRC 2262 and 2263 of 2001 CORAM: Haylen J Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 - s 48(1)(a) - consent to prosecution by prescribed officer - principles applicable - whether general authority sufficient - adequacy of internal memorandum as consent to prosecute - whether consent required to be granted to a nominated person - relevance of intention of prescribed officer - substance of document granting consent to prosecute considered - relevance of Departmental custom and practice in granting consent to prosecute - granting of consent not an element of the offence but a matter of procedure - validity of consent and prosecutions upheld

CATCHWORDS : Statutes - Interpretation - Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 - s 48 (1)(a) - principles of statutory construction - criminal penalties imposed by statute - consent to prosecute provision procedural in nature - form of consent required to authorise prosecution - whether necessary for consent to specify a person to undertake the prosecution - validity of consent and prosecution upheld

Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 s 15(1) s 16(1) s 48(1)(a) Occupational Health and Safety (Administration) Regulation 1992 LEGISLATION CITED : Supreme Court (Summary Jurisdiction) Act 1967 4(1) Common Law Procedure Act Criminal Procedure Act s 55 Public Sector Management Act 1988 s 12 Barton v Croner Trading Pty Ltd (1984) 3 FCR 95 Bedingfeld v Keogh (1912) 13 CLR 601 at 604 Beckwith v R (1976) 135 CLR 569 at 576 Berwin v Donohoue (1915) 21 CLR 1 25 Brebner v Bruce (1950) 82 CLR 161 Bruce v Jarrett (1926) SASR 96 Callahan v WorkCover Authority of NSW (1996) NSW IRC 47 Dever v Creevy ex parte Creevy (1992) 1 Qd.R 232 Ex parte Smith (1918) 35 WN (NSW) 54 Ex parte Stuart re Mead and ors (1930) 47 WN (NSW) 60 Ex parte Wright Heaton and Co (1895) Vol. X11 WN (NSW) 25 Gilmour v Bastian (1917) 24 CLR 14) Gilmour v Bastian (1918) 34 WN (NSW) 239 Gilmour v Midways Springwood Pty Ltd (1980) 3 A.Crim.R 197 Gouriet v Union of Post Office Workers [1977] 3 WLR 300 at 310 Holland v Jones (1917) 23 CLR 149 Kemp John Graham v Gough and Gilmour Holdings Pty Ltd NSW CCA (unreported 14 February 1995) CASES CITED : McConnell Dowell Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd v Environmental Protection Authority [2000] NSWCCA 367 at paragraph [11], McDonnell v Smith (1918) 24 CLR 409 MacCarron v Coles Supermarket Australia Pty Ltd (2001) 23 WAR 353 at [34] Palos Verdes Estates Pty Ltd v Carbon (1992) 6 WAR 223 Port of Melbourne Authority v Anshun Pty Ltd (1981) 147 CLR 589 per Brennan J at 610 Price v Humphries [1958] 2 QB 353, Project Blue Sky Inc. & ors v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLE 355 [69] at 381) Re Water and Sewerage Employees - Wages Division (Metropolitan) Award and ors. (1983) 4 IR 67 at 72 Rabczynski v Morrison (1988) WAR 71 R v Bacon (1973) 1 NSWLR 87 R v Turner [1910] 1 KB 346 R v Waller (1910) 1 K.B. 364 367 Shulz v Virgin (1966) SASR 94 Thompson v Goold & Co [1910] AC 409 at 420) Thompson v The Queen (1989) 169 CLR 1 Traveland Pty Ltd v Doherty (1982) 63 FLR 41 at 46 Turner v Tsaousis (1974) 7 S.A.S.R 408,