WorkCover Queensland v Seltsam Pty Limited [2001] NSWCA 457

Reported Decision : 53 NSWLR 518

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : WorkCover Queensland v Seltsam Pty Limited [2001] NSWCA 457 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40376/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 22/11/01 JUDGMENT DATE : 22 November 2001

PARTIES : WorkCover Queensland (Appellant) Seltsam Pty Limited (Opponent) JUDGMENT OF : Priestley JA at 34-38, 51; Young CJ in Eq at 1-33; Ipp AJA at 39

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT 201/01 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Gibb DCJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : P A Keane QC and A L McSpedden (Appellant) T G R Parker (Opponent) SOLICITORS : Turner Freeman (Appellant) Windeyer Dibbs (Opponent) CATCHWORDS : Workers' compensation- Queensland legislation- WorkCover entitled to statutory indemnity from tortfeasor- Act declares that to that end WorkCover subrogated- Whether WorkCover must sue in worker's name- District Court Judge held it must do so- Reversed. (D) Acts Interpretation Act 1954 (Qld), s14A Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW) s 33 Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1944 (NSW), s 2(2) Limitation of Actions Act 1974 (Qld) LEGISLATION CITED : Motor Accident Insurance Act 1994 (Qld), Part 4, ss 34, 37, 52 Succession Act 1981 (Qld), s 66(2) WorkCover Queensland Act 1996, ss 278 & 526(2) Workers Compensation Act 1916 (Qld) Workers Compensation Act 1990 (Qld) Adamson v Melbourne & Metropolitan Board of Works [1929] AC 142 Austral Pacific Group Pty Ltd v Air Services Australia (2000) 74 ALJR 1184 Bonser v Melnacis [2000] QCA 13 Esso Petroleum Co Ltd v Hall Russell & Co Ltd [1989] 1 AC 643 Ex parte Workers' Compensation Board of Queensland [1983] 1 QdR 450 Fackler v Berry 25 SE 887 (1896) (Virginia) Gill v Registrar General (1991) 5 BPR 11587 King v Phoenix Assurance Co [1910] 2 KB 666 CASES CITED: Manners v Transfield Pty Ltd (1992) 110 ALR 70 Metal Manufacturer Ltd v Lewis (1988) 13 NSWLR 315 State of New South Wales v Commonwealth Bank of Australia [2001] NSWSC 1067 Tickle Industries Pty Ltd v Hann (1974) 130 CLR 32l Tuckerwood v Rotherham Corp [1921] 1 KB 526 Victorian WorkCover Authority v Esso Australia Ltd (2001) 75 ALJR 1513 Webber v Bryant 37 NE 203 (1894) (Mass) Westpac Banking Corporation v Tomassian (1992) 32 NSWLR 207 Workers' Compensation Board of Queensland v The Nominal Defendant (Queensland) [1989] 1 QdR 356 DECISION : 1. Leave to appeal granted; 2. Appeal allowed ; 3. Order of District Court set aside and in lieu thereof order that the notice of motion be dismissed without prejudice to reactivating part not dealt with below and on appeal; 4. Opponent to pay majority of appellant's costs.