The Nominal Defendant v Hi-Light Industries Pty Limited; The Nominal Defendant v State of New South Wales [2004] NSWCA 423

Reported Decision : 61 NSWLR 585

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : The Nominal Defendant v Hi-Light Industries Pty Limited; The Nominal Defendant v State of New South Wales [2004] NSWCA 423 HEARING DATE(S) : 11/11/04 JUDGMENT DATE : 26 November 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Beazley JA at 1; Ipp JA at 2; Tobias JA at 78 DECISION : (1) In CA40124/04: Appeal dismissed with costs. (2) In CA 40376/04: Appeal dismissed with costs.

CATCHWORDS : WORKERS' COMPENSATION - Statutory interpretation - Recovery actions under s 151Z(1)(d) of the Workers' Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) - Whether a recovery action may be brought against the Nominal Defendant - Whether the Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW) denies the availability of such recovery actions - Applicability of Nominal Defendant v Australian Associated Press [1982] 1 NSWLR 127 - Whether s 37 of the Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW) is a code for the recovery of damages from the Nominal Defendant - Liability of the Nominal Defendant under s 5(1)(c) of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 (NSW) - Availability of the Motor Accidents Authority Fund to pay liabilities of the Nominal Defendant arising from a recovery action - Effect of policy considerations. D Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW) ss 31, 32, 33, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39(1), 40, 41(4), 198, 206(1) 212, 213, 214, cl 10 Schedule 5 Motor Accidents Act 1988 (NSW), cl 5.6 Schedule 5 Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW), s 151Z(1)(d) LEGISLATION CITED : Workers Compensation Act 1926 (NSW), s 64(1) Motor Vehicles (Third Party Insurance) Act 1942 (NSW), ss 29, 30, 31(1), 32(1) Insurance Protection Tax Act 2001 (NSW), ss 16B, 16G Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 (NSW), s 5(1)(c) Australian Safeways Stores Pty Ltd v Incorporated Nominal Defendant [1980] VR 118 Harding v Lithgow Municipal Council (1937) 57 CLR 186 CASES CITED : Harrison v Nominal Defendant (1975) 50 ALJR 330 Nominal Defendant v Australian Associated Press [1982] 1 NSWLR 127 Tickle Industries Pty Limited v Hann (1974) 130 CLR 321 Wythes v McCaffery [2004] NSWCA 367 CA 40124/04 The Nominal Defendant (Appellant) PARTIES : Hi-Light Industries Pty Limited (Respondent) CA 40376/04 The Nominal Defendant (Appellant) State of New South Wales (Respondent) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40124/04; 40376/04 CA 40124/04 K Rewell SC/C Taylor (Appellant) COUNSEL : D F Jackson QC/M J Jenkins (Respondent) CA 40376/04 D J Russell SC/J Ryan (Appellant) D F Jackson QC/M J Jenkins (Respondent) CA 40124/04 TL Lawyers (Appellant) SOLICITORS : Nevill & Edwards (Respondent) CA 40376/04 Blake Dawson Waldron (Appellant) Hunt & Hunt (Respondent)