SYDNEY WATER CORPORATION LTD & ANOR v INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMISSION OF NSW & ANOR [2004] NSWCA 436

Reported Decision : 61 NSWLR 661

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : SYDNEY WATER CORPORATION LTD & ANOR v INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMISSION OF NSW & ANOR [2004] NSWCA 436 HEARING DATE(S) : 21, 22 September 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 1 December 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Mason P at 1; Hodgson JA at 75; McColl JA at 79 DECISION : Declare that s 106 of the Industrial Relations Act 1996 does not permit the granting of relief unless the contract or arrangement otherwise falling within that section is, or is found to have become, an "unfair contract" as defined in s 105 thereof.

CATCHWORDS : Industrial Relations Act 1996, s 106 - unfair contract - administrative law relief - Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales - whether Reich v Client Server Professionals of Australia Pty Ltd wrongly decided - scope of Commission's jurisdiction under s106 - whether s106 covers unfairness arising from conduct in breach of contract - whether contract itself must be found to be unfair - prohibition - whether jurisdictional error involved - declaratory relief (D) Industrial Relations Act 1996, 106 LEGISLATION CITED : Supreme Court Act, s48(1)(a)(ii), (2)(e) Aronson, Dyer & Groves, Judicial Review of Administrative Action 3rd ed, 2004, p695. Anisminic Ltd v Foreign Compensation Commission [1969] 2 AC 147 Brown v Rezitis (1970) 127 CLR 157 Coal and Allied Operations Pty Ltd v Australian Industrial Relations Commission & Ors (2000) 203 CLR 194 Connor v Sankey [1976] 2 NSWLR 570 Coulton v Holcome (1986) 162 CLR 1 Craig v South Australia (1995) 184 CLR 163 Ex parte Hebburn Ltd; Re Kearsley Shire Council (1947) 47 SR(NSW) 416 Ex parte Thomas; Re Arnold [1966] 2 NSWR 197 Forster v Jododex Australia Pty Ltd (1972) 127 CLR 421 Incitec v Industrial Court of New South Wales (1992) 45 IR 155 Minister for Youth & Community Services v Health and Research Employees' Association of Australia, NSW Branch (1987) 10 NSWLR 543 Mitchforce Pty Ltd v Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales & Ors (2003) 57 NSWLR 212 QSR Ltd v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW & Ors [2004] NSWCA CASES CITED : 199 Re Media, Entertainment and Arts Allience; Ex parte Arnel (1994) 179 CLR 84 Reich v Client Server Professionals of Australia Pty Ltd (2000) 49 NSWLR 551 Rookes v Barnard [1964] AC 1129 Rothmans Distributions Services Ltd v Full Court of the Industrial Court of New South Wales (1994) 53 IR 157 Solution 6 Holdings Ltd and Ors v Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales & Ors [2004] NSWCA 200 Stevenson v Barham (1977) 136 CLR 190 The Queen v Gray; Ex parte Marsh (1985) 157 CLR 351 Truelove v Sydney Water Corporation Ltd & Anor [2004] NSWIR Comm 298 Truelove v Sydney Water Corporation Ltd & Anor [2004] NSWIRComm 115 Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW in Court Session & Anor [2004] NSWCA 183 Walker v Industrial Court of New South Wales (1994) 53 IR 121 Whisprun Pty Ltd v Dixon [2003] HCA 48 PARTIES : SYDNEY WATER CORPORATION LTD & ANOR v INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMISSION OF NSW & ANOR FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40666/04 COUNSEL : Claimant(s): J West/ R Crow Opponent(s): A Searle SOLICITORS : Claimant(s): Workplace Law Opponent(s): Saggacious Legal Pty Limited