STATE RAIL AUTHORITY OF NSW v WATKINS [2001] NSWCA 405

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : STATE RAIL AUTHORITY OF NSW v WATKINS [2001] NSWCA 405 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40846/00 HEARING DATE(S) : 5 September 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 16 November 2001

PARTIES : STATE RAIL AUTHORITY OF NSW v Richard Stanley William WATKINS JUDGMENT OF : Mason P at 1; Heydon JA at 62; Sperling J at 63

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT DC 1749/95 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Dent DCJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : Appellant: P G Curtin Respondent: D O'Dowd SOLICITORS : Appellant: Phillips Fox Respondent: Harris & Co CATCHWORDS : Negligence - duty of care - occupier's liability - respondent plumber injured through electric shock when aluminium ladder came into contact with overhead electrified power lines - respondent an employee of subcontractor working under supervision of construction manager - railway staff had no role in assigning or overseeing tasks at work site - construction manager able to arrange line closure if necessary - whether SRA had non-delegable duty stemming from control of station - challenges to trial judge's findings - scope of SRA's duty - Papatonakis v Australian Telecommunications Commission (1985) 156 CLR 7 - no breach of any duty of care. (D) Ex Parte Professional Engineers Association (1959) 107 CLR 208 David Jones Ltd v Bates [2001] NSWCA 233 Derrick v Cheung [2001] HCA 48 CASES CITED: Kondis v State Transport Authority (1984) 154 CLR 672 Morgan v Sherton Pty Ltd (1999) 46 NSWLR 141 Papatonakis v Australian Telecommunications Commission (1985) 156 CLR 7 Phillis v Daly (1988) 15 NSWLR 65 DECISION : See par 61