Patricia Cretney v State of New South Wales [2008] NSWIRComm 131

Industrial Court of New South Wales

CITATION: Patricia Cretney v State of New South Wales [2008] NSWIRComm 131

Applicant: Patricia Cretney PARTIES: Respondent: State of New South Wales

FILE NUMBER(S): IRC7430 of 2003

CORAM: Kavanagh J

CATCHWORDS: s106 application - unfair contract - allegation conduct of departmental investigation into school management unfair to staff member- recommendation for formal investigation of matters which may be disciplinary - recommendation for transfer of applicant in any circumstance - recommendation not acted upon - recommendations not findings nor proposed findings - applicant given procedural fairness - departmental policy followed - departmental procedures meet procedural fairness rules - no application of principle of legal coherence - distress suffered not related to unfairness in contract - no evidence of damage to reputation or defamation - application dismissed

LEGISLATION CITED: Industrial Relations Act 1996

Abboud v The State of NSW (Department of School Education) (1999) 92 IR 32 Banas v State of New South Wales [2003] NSWIRComm 317 Bowker & Anor v Software Engineers Australia (NSW) [2004] NSWIRC 104 CGU Workers Compensation (NSW) Ltd v Garcia (2007) Aust Torts Reports 81-908 Hyde v Energy Australia (1999) 92 IR 409 CASES CITED: Hunter Area Health Service v Presland (2005) 63 NSWLR 22 Mitchforce v Industrial Relations Commission (2003) 57 NSWLR 212 New South Wales v Paige (2002) 60 NSWLR 371 State of New South Wales v Banas (2004) 137 IR 63 Sullivan v Moody (2001) 207 CLR 562 Sydney Water Corporation Ltd and Anor v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW & Anor [2004] 61 NSWLR 661 Truelove v Sydney Water Corporation Limited [2005] 146 IR 253