Vice-Chancellor Macquarie University v FM [2005] NSWCA 192

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Vice-Chancellor Macquarie University v FM [2005] NSWCA 192

HEARING DATE(S): 9 May 2005

JUDGMENT DATE: 10 June 2005

JUDGMENT OF: Spigelman CJ at 1; Tobias JA at 42; Brownie AJA at 43.

DECISION: 1 Appeal allowed; 2 The order made by the Appeal Panel on 3 September 2004 be set aside and in lieu thereof the appeal to the Panel be allowed and the application to the Tribunal dismissed.

CATCHWORDS: PRIVACY LAW - Privacy and Personal Information Act 1998 (NSW) - Scope of Information Protection Principles - Whether information held in the mind of an employee of a public sector agency is 'personal information' to which the Act applies - STATUTORY INTERPRETATION - Interpretation of definitions in statute - Relevance of other definitions of same words in unrelated Acts - WORDS & PHRASES: 'personal information', 'held', 'collected', 'possession or control'

Administrative Decisions Tribunal Act 1997: s119 Law Enforcement (Controlled Operations) Act 1997: s8 Law Enforcement (Controlled Operations) Regulation 1998: Sch 1 cll 1, 6; Sch 2 Form 1 Official Information Act 1982 (NZ) LEGISLATION CITED: Privacy Act 1988 (Cth): s6 Privacy and Personal Information Act 1998: Part 2 Div 1; ss 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 29 State Records Act 1998 Supreme Court Act 1970: s48(1)(a)(vii)

CIC Insurance Ltd v Bankstown Football Club Ltd (1997) 187 CLR 384 Commissioner of Police v Ombudsman [1985] 1 NZLR 578 CASES CITED: DO v University of New South Wales [2002] NSWADT 211 DO v University of New South Wales (GD) [2003] NSWADTAP 9 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355