Stephen Finlay McMartin v Newcastle Wallsend Coal Company Pty Limited and ors [2003] NSWIRComm 392 [2003] NSWIRComm 393

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Stephen Finlay McMartin v Newcastle Wallsend Coal Company Pty Limited and ors [2003] NSWIRComm 392 [2003] NSWIRComm 393 revised - 18/12/2003 PROSECUTOR: Stephen Finlay McMartin

PARTIES : DEFENDANTS: Newcastle Wallsend Coal Company Pty Limited; Oakbridge Pty Limited; Richard Porteous; Phillip Pritchard; Michael Alston; Mark Robinson; Jonathan Romcke; Michael Coffey; Christopher Nicholls; Terence Shacklady.

FILE NUMBER: 3198 - 3249 of 2000 CORAM: Staunton J CATCHWORDS : Occupational health and safety - voir dire to determine admissibility of expert witness statement - issue as to whether protected witness statements admissible in voir dire to determine admissibility of expert witness statement - Part 36r13C and para 5(b) of Schedule K of Supreme Court Rules not considered relevant to issue currently before the Court - issue as to indemnity provided by s60(2) of Coal Mines Regulation Act 1982 to use of protected witness statements - distinction between use indemnity, a use derivative use indemnity and a transactional indemnity - held use indemnity provided by s60(2) of Coal Mines Regulation Act 1982 applies to protected statements being used against the person as a defendant in criminal proceedings - witness statement excluded on the voir dire to determine the admissibility of expert witness statement Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 Evidence Act 1995 LEGISLATION CITED : Coal Mines Regulation Act 1982 Royal Commission Act 1923

Ganin v New South Wales Crime Commission NSWLR 423 Rogan v Hyde [1995] 84 A Crim R 519 CASES CITED : Hood (1997) 91 A Crim R 526 Hamilton v Oades (1989) 166 CLR 485 Sorby v The Commonwealth (1983) 152 CLR 281