Solution 6 Holdings Limited & Ors v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW & Ors [2004] NSWCA 200

Reported Decision : 60 NSWLR 558

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Solution 6 Holdings Limited & Ors v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW & Ors [2004] NSWCA 200 HEARING DATE(S) : 22/04/04 JUDGMENT DATE : 21 July 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Spigelman CJ at 1; Mason P at 160; Handley JA at 161 DECISION : Order 1 sought by Claimant made. Second and Third Opponents to pay Claimants' costs.

CATCHWORDS : INDUSTRIAL LAW - Industrial Relations Commission - jurisdiction - unfair contract - share sale agreement - not contract "whereby person performs work in any industry" - extension of Commission's jurisdiction over non-industrial contracts - industrial context of legislation - Industrial Relations Act 1996 ss 105, 106, 179 - limitation on Commission power to void or vary unfair contracts under s 106 - ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - privative clause - industrial relations legislation - where only interlocutory procedural decisions so far made by Commission - whether any decision or purported decision made by Commission - meaning of "decision" - no operative step taken - privative clause in s 179 inapplicable - principle of restraint - exercise of discretion to order prohibition where patent defect in Commission jurisdiction Australian Constitution s 75(v) Contracts Review Act 1980 Fair Trading Act 1987 ss 42, 43, 44, 45, 49, 50, 54, 55, 72 Industrial Arbitration Act 1901 s 32 Industrial Arbitration Act 1912 s 58 LEGISLATION CITED : Industrial Arbitration Act 1940 ss 84, 88F Industrial Disputes Act 1908 s 52 Industrial Relations Act 1991 ss 275, 301 Industrial Relations Act 1996 ss 7, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 152, 171, 175, 177, 179, 187, 189, 190, 190A, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 197, 197A Industrial Relations Commission Rules 1996 Pt 3 r 18A Supreme Court Act 1970 ss 48, 69 AOS Group Australia Pty Ltd (in liq) v Arrogante [2004] NSW IRComm 80 Australian Broadcasting Tribunal v Bond (1990) 170 CLR 321 Ballam v Higgins (1986) 17 IR 131 Bank of New South Wales v United Bank Officers' Association and the Court of Industrial Arbitration (1921) 21 SR(NSW) 593 Bartolacci v Permanent Custodians Limited (1992) 44 IR 388 Bartolacci v Permanent Custodians Limited (No 2) (1992) 94 IR 122 Baxter v New South Wales Clickers' Association (1909) 10 CLR 114 Bell v Macquarie Bank Limited (No 4) (1999) 93 IR 191 Belmore Property Pty Ltd v Allen (1950) 80 CLR 191 Black-Clawson International Limited v Papierwerke Waldhof-Aschaffenburg AG [1975] AC 591 BNY Australia v James (1992) 40 IR 1 Boral Gas (NSW) Pty Ltd v Magill (1993) 32 NSWLR 501 Brisbane City Council v Attorney General (Qld) (1908) 5 CLR 695 Bromley v Housing Commission of New South Wales (1985) 3 NSWLR 407 Brown v Rezitis (1970) 122 CLR 157 Byrne v Australian Airlines Limited (1995) 185 CLR 410 Cabell v Markham 148 F 2d 737 (1945) Caltex Oil (Australia) Pty Ltd v Feenan [1980] 1 NSWLR 724 Caltex Oil (Australia) Pty Ltd v Feenan [1981] 1 NSWLR 169 Carter v NSW Rugby League Limited (1997) 78 IR 368 Cash Converters Pty Ltd v Yildiz (1999) 94 IR 474 Cepus v Industrial Court of New South Wales (1995) 60 IR 113 Chu Kheng Lim v Minister for Immigration (1992) 172 CLR 1 CIC Insurance Limited v Bankstown Football Club Limited (1995) 187 CLR 384 Clancy v Butchers' Shop Employés Union (1904) 1 CLR 181 Darling Casino Limited v New South Wales Casino Control Authority (1997) 191 CLR 602 Davies v General Transport Development Pty Ltd [1967] AR (NSW) 371 Dickinson v Perrignon [1973] 1 NSWLR 72 Director General of Social Services v Chaney (1980) 47 FLR 80 Dossett v TKJ Nominees Pty Ltd (2004) 78 ALJR 161 Euphoric Pty Ltd v Ryledar Pty Ltd (2002) 117 IR 1 Ex parte The Caterers and Restaurant Keepers' Association (1903) 3 SR (NSW) 19 Ex parte VG Haulage Services Pty Limited; Re Industrial Commission of New South Wales [1972] 2 NSWLR 81 Forster v Jododex Australia Pty Ltd (1972) 127 CLR 421 Gosper v Sawyer (1985) 160 CLR 548 Gray v Rentokil Pty Ltd (unreported, Industrial Court of NSW, Bauer J, 2 April 1992) Grover v NSW Abalone Divers Co-operative Society Limited (1995) 60 IR 342 Harris v Hammon (1992) 53 IR 235 Hill v William Hill (Park Lane) Ltd [1949] AC 530 Houssein v Under Secretary of Department of Industrial Relations and Technology (NSW) (1988) 148 CLR 88 Howitt v Retec Limited (1992) 45 IR 245 In re Becker and Harry M. Miller Attractions Pty Ltd (No 2) [1972] AR (NSW) 298 K & S Lake City Freighters Pty Ltd v Gordon & Gotch Limited (1985) 157 CLR 309 CASES CITED : Klein v Adler (unreported, Industrial Relations Commission of NSW, Schmidt J, 21 November 1996) Majik Markets Pty Ltd v Brake and Service Centre Drummoyne Pty Ltd (1992) 28 NSWLR 443 Maltais v Industrial Commission (NSW) (1986) 14 IR 367 Master Retailers' Association of NSW v Shop Assistants Union of NSW (1905) 2 CLR 94 Matadeen v Pointu [1999] 1 AC 98 Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board v Histon [1982] 2 NSWLR 720 Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board v Judges of the Industrial Commission of New South Wales [1981] AR 305 Mitchforce Pty Ltd v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW (2003) 57 NSWLR 212 Mitchforce Pty Ltd v Starkey (No 2) [2003] NSWIR Comm 458 Mutual Acceptance Co Limited v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1944) 69 CLR 389 Network Ten Pty Ltd v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (2004) 78 ALJR 585 Nolan v Clifford (1904) 1 CLR 429 Production Spray Painting & Panel Beating Pty Ltd v Newnham (1991) 27 NSWLR 644 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1988) 194 CLR 355 Public Service Association (SA) v Federated Clerks' Union (1991) 173 CLR 132 R v Australian Stevedoring Industry Board; Ex parte Melbourne Stevedoring Co Pty Ltd (1953) 88 CLR 100 R v Federal Court of Australia; Ex parte Pilkington A.C.I. (Operations) Pty Ltd (1978) 142 CLR 113 R v Gray; Ex parte Marsh (1985) 157 CLR 351 R v Hickman; Ex parte Fox (1945) 70 CLR 598 R v Judges of the Federal Court of Australia; Ex parte Western Australian National Football League Inc (1979) 143 CLR 190 R v PLV (2001) 51 NSWLR 736 R v Ross-Jones; Ex parte Green (1984) 156 CLR 185 R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 Re Bolton; Ex parte Beane (1987) 162 CLR 514 Re Grimshaw; Ex parte Australian Telephone and Phonogram Officers' Association (1986) 60 ALJR 588 Re McJannet; Ex parte Minister for Employment, Training and Industrial Relations (Qld) (1995) 184 CLR 620 Re Refugee Tribunal; Ex parte Aala (2000) 204 CLR 82 Reich v Client Server Professionals of Australia Pty Ltd (2000) 49 NSWLR 551 Resarta Pty Ltd v Finemore (2002) 55 NSWLR 320 Rolles v Donald Scott Surgical Pty Ltd (unreported, Industrial Relations Commission of NSW, Fisher P, Cahill VP and Bauer J, 19 February 1998) Rookes v Barnard [1964] AC 1129 Rothmans Distribution Services Limited v Industrial Court of New South Wales (1994) 53 IR 157 Shaw v Jeffrey (1860) 13 Moo PCC 432; 15 ER 162 State v Zuma (1995) 4 BCLR 401 Stevenson v Barham (1977) 136 CLR 190 Stock v Frank Jones (Tipton) Limited [1978] 1 WLR 231 Stradling v Morgan (1560) 1 Plowden 19 Strathfield Group Limited v Hall (2002) 121 IR 158 Svecova v Industrial Commission of New South Wales (1991) 39 IR 328 Toohey v Gunther (1928) 41 CLR 181 Ultra Tune (Aust) Pty Ltd v Swann (1983) 8 IR 122 Walker v Industrial Court of New South Wales (1994) 53 IR 121 Wilson Parking (NSW) Pty Ltd v Industrial Commission of New South Wales [1979] 1 NSWLR 396 Yirrell v Yirrell (1939) 62 CLR 287 Solution 6 Holdings Limited (First Claimant) Solution 6 Pty Ltd (Second Claimant) Neville Buch (Third Claimant) PARTIES : Neil Gamble (Fourth Claimant) Industrial Relations Commission of NSW (First Opponent) Nicholas Terrence Fish (Second Opponent) Nisha Nominees Pty Ltd (Third Opponent) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40118/04 F M Douglas QC / B J A Shields (Claimants) COUNSEL : J West QC / S Burchett (Second & Third Opponents) M Sexton SC / N Sharp (Attorney General) Deacons (Claimants) SOLICITORS : Crown Solicitor's Office (First Opponent) Clayton Utz (Second & Third Opponents)