WORKERS' COMPENSATION (DUST DISEASES) BOARD v KELLY [2000] NSWCA 57

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : WORKERS' COMPENSATION (DUST DISEASES) BOARD v KELLY [2000] NSWCA 57 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40703/99 HEARING DATE(S) : 3 March 2000 JUDGMENT DATE : 23 March 2000

PARTIES : Workers' Compensation (Dust Diseases) Board - Appellant Cynthia Pauline Kelly as Administrator ad litem of the Estate of the late Patrick James Scates - Respondent JUDGMENT OF : Sheller JA at 1; Powell JA at 28; Rolfe AJA at 29

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Compensation Court LOWER COURT 261/99 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Bishop CCJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : CRR Hoeben SC - Appellant AJ Katzmann SC/K Connor - Respondent SOLICITORS : McLaughlin & Riordan - Appellant Slater & Gordon - Respondent CATCHWORDS : WORKERS' COMPENSATION - Dust Diseases - Workers' Compensation (Dust Diseases) Act 1942 - NEGLIGENCE - Proof of negligence - Causation - Whether exposure to asbestos dust and fibre caused squamous cell carcinoma of the lung - Where deceased exposed to asbestos dust in the course of employment and where deceased a moderate smoker - Whether evidence capable of proving causation - APPELLATE jurisdiction of Supreme Court - Question of law - Compensation Court Act 1984, s32 - ND LEGISLATION CITED : Workers' Compensation (Dust Diseases) Act 1942 Compensation Court Act 1984 Azzopardi v Tasman UEB Industries Ltd (1985) 4 NSWLR 139 St George Club Ltd v Hinds (1961) 35 ALJR Seltsam Pty Ltd v McGuiness (2000) NSWCA 29 The Commonwealth v McLean (1996) 41NSWLR 389 Sydney County Council v Furner (1991) 7 NSWCCR 210 CASES CITED: Bendix Mintex Pty Ltd v Barnes (1997) 42 NSWLR 307 Wilsher v Essex Area Health Authority [1988] AC 1074 McGhee v National Coal Board [1973] 1 WLR 1 Naxakis v Western General Hospital (1999) 73 ALJR 782 Commissioner for Government Transport v Adamcik (1961) 106 CLR 292 Blackstock v Foster (1958) SR(NSW) 341 DECISION : Appeal dismisssed with costs.