QSR Limited v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW & Ors [2004] NSWCA 199

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : QSR Limited v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW & Ors [2004] NSWCA 199 HEARING DATE(S) : 7/04/2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 21 July 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Spigelman CJ at 1; Mason P at 57; Handley JA at 58 DECISION : Order of prohibition quo usque made, no order as to costs.

CATCHWORDS : INDUSTRIAL LAW - Industrial Relations Commission - jurisdiction - unfair contract - performance benchmark in option deed - where Commission dismissed notice of motion to strike out for want of jurisdiction - where overall arrangement did not lead directly to performance of work - Court of Appeal reluctant to intervene when matters of fairness raised in jurisdictional challenge - whether work as promoter, director and member of board property subcommittee is "work in any industry" - where contract or arrangement must pre-date relevant work - where Commission lacked jurisdiction over any contract or arrangement pre-dating Claimant's incorporation - whether s 179 bars grant of prerogative relief - Industrial Relations Act 1996 ss 105, 106, 179 Corporations Act 1989 (Cth) s 183 Industrial Relations Act 1996 ss 105, 106, 179 LEGISLATION CITED : Industrial Relations Commission Rules 1996 Pt 3 r 18A Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) s 78B Supreme Court Rules 1970 Pt 13 r 5 Ace Business Brokers Pty Ltd v Phillips-Treby (2000) 100 IR 420 Anisminic Ltd v Foreign Compensation Commission [1969] 2 AC 147 Brandster v Tryak Pty Ltd (1989) 28 IR 329 Brown v Rezitis (1970) 127 CLR 157 David Securities Pty Ltd v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (1992) 175 CLR 353 Ex parte Ashfield Brokers and Consultants Pty Ltd; Re Witek (unreported, NSW Court of Appeal, Sugerman P, Asprey and Holmes JJA, 29 June 1972) General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125 CASES CITED : Houssein v Undersecretary of Industrial Relations and Technology (1982) 148 CLR 88 Johnston v Friends Motor Co Ltd (1910) 10 CLR 365 Maylord Equity Management Pty Ltd v QSR Limited [2003] NSW IRComm 366 Mitchforce Pty Ltd v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW (2003) 57 NSWLR 212 Old UGC Inc v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW [2004] NSWCA 197 Production Spray Painting & Panel Beating Pty Ltd v Newnham (1991) 27 NSWLR 644 R v Australian Stevedoring Industry Board; Ex parte Melbourne Stevedoring Co Pty Ltd (1953) 88 CLR 100 Solution 6 Holdings Limited v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW [2004] NSWCA 200 South East Asia Fire Bricks Sdn Bhd v Non-Metallic Mineral Products Manufacturing Employees Union [1981] AC 363 QSR Limited (Claimant) PARTIES : Industrial Relations Commission of NSW (First Opponent) Maylord Equity Management Pty Ltd (Second Opponent) Peter James Batterham (Third Opponent) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 41152/03 D E Grieve QC / J Miller (Claimant) COUNSEL : S C Rothman SC / W G Thompson (Second & Third Opponents) M Sexton SC / L Clegg (Attorney General) SOLICITORS : Pryor Tzannes & Wallis (Claimant) Clayton Utz (Second & Third Opponents)