ART COATING PTY LIMITED v GERACE [2000] NSWCA 169

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : ART COATING PTY LIMITED v GERACE [2000] NSWCA 169 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40702/99 HEARING DATE(S) : 3 July 2000 JUDGMENT DATE : 13 July 2000

PARTIES : Art Coating Pty Limited - Appellant Maurizio Gerace - Respondent JUDGMENT OF : Priestley JA at 1; Sheller JA at 2; Foster AJA at 34

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Supreme Court - Equity Division LOWER COURT ED 1516/99 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Master Macready JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : CRR Hoeben SC/SG Campbell - Appellant M Cranitch SC/JE Armfield - Respondent SOLICITORS : Hunt & Hunt - Appellant Margiotta Solicitors - Respondent CATCHWORDS : CONTRACTS - Whether abandonment of contract - Effect of legislative amendment on term of contract. WORKERS COMPENSATION - Entitlement to and liability for compensation - Commutation agreement. - NR Workers Compensation Act 1926 LEGISLATION CITED : Workers Compensation Act 1987 Workers Compensation Legislation Amendment Act 1998 CASES CITED: Tran v JR Manufacturing Industries Pty Ltd (1998) 17 NSWCCR 225 Gosper v Christopherson (1986) 160 CLR 423 DECISION : 1. Appeal allowed; 2. Set aside order 4 made by Master Macready on 23 August 1999 and in lieu thereof, substitute: Declare that in the event the Compensation Court determines the application for commutation in the amount of $130,000 the defendant is bound by the Heads of Agreement of 4 September 1997 to pay that amount to the plaintiff less any lawful deductions; 3. Add the following order: '4A. Liberty to apply.'; 4. Otherwise confirm the Master's orders; 5. The appellant to pay the respondent's costs of the appeal.