Stephen McMartin v Newcastle Wallsend Coal Company Pty Ltd; Oakbridge Pty Limited; Richard Porteous; Phillip Pritchard; Michael Alston; Mark Robinson; Jonathan Romcke; Michael Coffey; Christopher Nicholls; Terence Shacklady [2003] NSWIRComm 292

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Stephen McMartin v Newcastle Wallsend Coal Company Pty Ltd; Oakbridge Pty Limited; Richard Porteous; Phillip Pritchard; Michael Alston; Mark Robinson; Jonathan Romcke; Michael Coffey; Christopher Nicholls; Terence Shacklady [2003] NSWIRComm 292 revised - 5/11/2003 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: IRC No's 3198 - 3249 of 2000 CORAM: Staunton J CATCHWORDS : Occupational health and safety - admissibility of expert witness statements - voir dire - Rules 187 and 188 of Industrial Relations Commission Rules considered relevantly and procedurally deficient as to principles governing receipt by Court of expert witness reports - Rule 89(5) of Industrial Relations Commission Rules applied - Part 39r13C and Schedule K of Supreme Court Rules considered applicable - specialised knowledge considerations - impartiality of an expert witness - probative value of evidence - expert opinion evidence excluded under s137 of the Evidence Act. Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 LEGISLATION CITED : Evidence Act 1995 Coal Mines Regulation Act 1982

Williamson v Service Corporation International (Aust) Pty Ltd (2003) NSWIR Comm 221 HG v The Queen (1999) 197 CLR 414 Makita (Australia) Pty Ltd v Sprowles (2001) 52 NSWLR 705 Trade Practices Commission v Arnotts (No 5) (1990) 21 FCR 324 Andrew William Godfrey (by his tutor Carol Ruth Godfrey) and Carol Ruth Godfrey v New South Wales (No 1) (2003) NSWSC 160 CASES CITED : Velevski v The Queen (2002) 76 ALJR 402 Sydneywide Distributors Pty Ltd v Red Bull Australia Pty Ltd (2002) FCAFC 157 Australian Consumer Commission v Emerald Ocean Distributors Pty Ltd (Unreported, FCA 31 July 2002) Idoport Pty Ltd v National Australia Bank (1999) NSWSC 828 R v Gallagher (2001) NSWSC 462 R v Carusi (1997) 92 A Crim R 52