Taudevin v Egis Consulting Australia Pty Limited and the Commonwealth (No 1) [2001] NSWIRComm 340

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Taudevin v Egis Consulting Australia Pty Limited and the Commonwealth (No 1) [2001] NSWIRComm 340 APPLICANT: Lansell Ronald Taudevin

FIRST RESPONDENT: Egis Consulting Australia Pty Limited PARTIES : SECOND RESPONDENT: The Commonwealth of Australia

INTERVENER: Attorney-General for New South Wales FILE NUMBER: IRC 7025 of 1999 CORAM: Wright J President; Walton J Vice-President; Hungerford J Unfair contracts - Reference of questions to Full Bench - Whether s 106 of the Industrial Relations Act 1996 applies to the Commonwealth - Whether s 106 involves exercise of judicial power - Separation of powers - Nature of Commission in Court Session - Crown immunity - Immunity of Commonwealth from State law - State court exercising federal jurisdiction - Functions peculiar to government - "Suit" - Whether premature to answer questions - Whether appropriate to answer question based on incorrect premise - Questions answered in the negative. CATCHWORDS : Constitutional law - Immunity of Commonwealth from State law - Functions peculiar to government - State court exercising federal jurisdiction - Whether s 106 involves exercise of judicial power - Separation of powers. Constitution s 51 s 52 s 75 s 76(ii) s 77 s 78 ch III s 106 s 107 s 108 s 109 s 122 Constitution Act 1902 s 7B s 52 s 53 s 56 Pt 9 Constitution (Amendment) Act 1992 Constitution (Entrenchment) Amendment Act 1992 (Act No 2 of 1995) Contracts Review Act 1980 LEGISLATION CITED : Industrial Relations Act 1988 (Cth) s 127A s 127 B (repealed) Industrial Relations Act 1991 Pts 4 and 10 of ch 2 - s 133 s 134 - Divs 3 and 4 of Pt 1 of ch 3 - Pt 1 of ch 4 - s 288 - Pt 3 of ch 5 Industrial Relations Act 1996 s 105 s 106 s 146(2) s 151 s 152 s 153 s 154 s 404 ch 4 Pt 3 Interpretation Act 1987 s 31 Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) s 2 s 39 s 56 s 64 s 78A s 79 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth) s 127A A v Hayden (1984) 156 CLR 532, Adams v Chas S Watson Pty Ltd (1938) 60 CLR 545 Asiatic Steam Navigation Co Ltd v Commonwealth (1956) 96 CLR 397 Australasian Memory Pty Ltd v Brien (1997) 149 ALR 393 Australasian Memory Pty Ltd v Brien (1998) 45 NSWLR 111 Australasian Memory Pty Ltd v Brien (2000) 200 CLR 270 Baillieu v Australian Electoral Commission (1996) 63 FCR 210 Beahan v Bush Boake Allen Australia Limited (1999) 47 NSWLR 648, (1999) 93 IR 1 Brown v Rezitis (1970) 127 CLR 157 Building Construction Employees and Builders' Labourers Federation of New South Wales v Minister for Industrial Relations (1986) 7 NSWLR 372 China Ocean Shipping Co v South Australia (1999) 145 CLR 172 Clyne v East (1967) 68 SR (NSW) 385 Commercial Bank of Australia Limited v Amadio (1983) 151 CLR 447 Commonwealth of Australia v Cigamatic Pty Ltd (1962) 108 CLR 372 Commonwealth v Evans Deakin Industries Limited (1986) 161 CLR 254 Commonwealth v Hospital Contributions Fund of Australia (1982) 150 CLR 49 Commonwealth v Mewett (1997) 191 CLR 471 Commonwealth of Australia v Verwayen (1990) 170 CLR 394 Commonwealth v Western Australia (1999) 196 CLR 392 Davies v General Transport Development Pty Ltd [1967] AR (NSW) 371 Deputy Commissioner of Taxation v Moorebank Pty Ltd (1988) 165 CLR 55 Dingjan Re, Ex parte Wagner (1995) 183 CLR 323 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Official Liquidator of E O Farley Ltd (1940) 63 CLR 278 Federated Sawmill, Timberyard and General Woodworkers' Employees' Association (Adelaide Branch) v Alexander (1912) 15 CLR 308 Finch v Herald & Weekly Times Ltd (1996) 65 IR 239 Gerard v Mayne Nickless (1995) 58 IR 203 GIO Australia Ltd v O'Donnell (1996) 70 IR 1 CASES CITED : Gould v Brown (1998) 193 CLR 346 H A Bachrach Pty Ltd v The State of Queensland (1998) 195 CLR 547 Heath v Hanning [1999] NSWSC 719 Hoffman v Industrial Commission of New South Wales (1990) 33 IR 139 Hollingsworth v Commissioner of Police (1998) 81 IR 276 Huddart, Parker & Co Pty Ltd v Moorehead (1909) 8 CLR 330 Insurance Commissioner v Associated Dominions Assurance Society Pty Ltd (1953) 89 CLR 78 Jacobsen v Rogers (1995) 182 CLR 572 Kable v The Director of Public Prosecutions for the State of New South Wales (1996) 189 CLR 51 Le Mesurier v Connor (1929) 42 CLR 481 Maguire v Simpson (1977) 139 CLR 362 Minister for Youth and Community Services v Health and Research Employees' Association of Australia, NSW Branch (1987) 10 NSWLR 543. Municipal Officers' Association of Australia v Lancaster (1981) 54 FLR 129 Nagle (T/as W D and J L Nagle & Sons) v Tilberg (1993) 51 IR 8, Packer v The Greater Murray Area Health Service [2000] NSWIRComm 149 Pirrie v McFarlane (1925) 36 CLR 170, Precision Data Holdings Ltd v Wills (1991) 173 CLR 167 Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital v Thornton (1953) 87 CLR 144 R v Davison (1954) 90 CLR 353 R v Kirby, Ex parte Boilermakers' Society of Australia (1956) 94 CLR 254 Ranger Uranium Mines Pty Ltd, Re, Ex parte Federated Miscellaneous Workers' Union of Australia (1987) 163 CLR 656 Residential Tenancies Tribunal of New South Wales, Re, Ex parte Defence Housing Authority (1997) 190 CLR 410. Richard Foreman & Sons Pty Ltd, Re, Uther v The Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1947) 74 CLR 508 Tana v Baxter (1986) 160 CLR 572 Tszyu v Fightvision Pty Ltd (2001) 104 IR 225 Virtue v New South Wales Department of Education and Training (1999) 92 IR 428 Visalli v Southwell (1988) 12 NSWLR 502