Watson v Qantas Airways Limited [2009] NSWCA 322

Reported Decision: 75 NSWLR 5397 DDCR 113

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Watson v Qantas Airways Limited [2009] NSWCA 322 This decision has been amended. Please see the end of the judgment for a list of the amendments.

HEARING DATE(S): 22 June 2009

JUDGMENT DATE: 8 October 2009

JUDGMENT OF: Allsop P at 1; Beazley JA at 1; McColl JA at 1; Basten JA at 69; Handley AJA at 1

1. Appeal allowed. DECISION: 2. The decision of the Workers Compensation Commission of 26 June 2008 be set aside. 3. The matter be remitted to the Commission for rehearing. 4. The respondent pay the appellant's costs.

CATCHWORDS: WORKERS' COMPENSATION – entitlement to compensation - injury in the course of employment or arising out of employment – injury occurring away from place of employment – injury occurring away from employee's home –characterisation of overall period of work – circumstances of injury in context of identified overall period of work - WORKERS' COMPENSATION – appeal from Workers Compensation Commission – error in point of law – error apparent in expression of principle - failure to direct adequately to test in binding High Court authority - Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) – s 4 - s 9 - WORDS AND PHRASES –"in the course of employment" – "arising out of employment"

LEGISLATION CITED: Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (NSW)

CATEGORY: Principal judgment

ATL Limited v Rolls [1980] 54 WCR (NSW) 327 Baudoeuf v Department of Main Roads (1968) 68 SR (NSW) 406 Bill Williams Pty Limited v Williams [1972] HCA 23; 126 CLR 146 Blacktown City Council v Smith [1996] NSWCA 52 Chubb Security Australia Pty Ltd v Trevarrow [2004] NSWCA 344 Commonwealth v Lyon (1979) 24 ALR 300 Commonwealth v Oliver [1962] HCA 38; 107 CLR 353 Danvers v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) [1969] HCA 64; 122 CLR 529 Davidson v Mould [1944] HCA 10; 69 CLR 96 Dew v Maher [1996] NSWCA 154; 14 NSWCCR 56 Favelle Mort Limited v Murray [1976] HCA 13; 133 CLR 580 Goward v Commonwealth [1957] HCA 60; 97 CLR 355 Haider v J P Morgan Holdings Aust Ltd [2007] NSWCA 158 Hatzimanolis v ANI Corporation Ltd [1992] HCA 21; 173 CLR 473 Henderson v Commissioner of Railways (WA) [1937] HCA 67; 58 CLR 281 Hevi Lift (PNG) Ltd v Etherington [2005] NSWCA 42 HIA Insurance Services Pty Ltd v Kostas [2009] NSWCA 292 Humphrey Earl Limited v Speechley [1951] HCA 75; 84 CLR 126 CASES CITED: ICM Agriculture Pty Ltd v Perry [2002] NSWCA 257 Inverell Shire Council v Lewis [1992] NSWCA 114; 8 NSWCCR 562 Le Brocq v Workcover Authority of NSW [2008] NSWCA 125; 6 DDCR 257 Mason v Social Welfare Department [1974] VR 506 McCurry v Lamb [1992] NSWCA 169; 8 NSWCCR 556 McMahon v Lagana [2004] NSWCA 164; 4 DDCR 348 Mendez v Telstra Corporation Ltd (1998) 147 FLR 394 Mercer v ANZ Banking Group Ltd [2000] NSWCA 138; 48 NSWLR 740 Moran v Amoret Installations Pty Ltd [2000] NSWCA 106 Newstead v Gulgong RSL Club Ltd [1995] NSWCA 318 Pollock v Stickfast Labels Pty Limited (in liq) [2002] NSWCA 360; 24 NSWCCR 279 Qantas Airways Ltd v Gubbins (1992) 28 NSWLR 26 Qantas Airways Ltd v Kirkland (New South Wales Court of Appeal, 9 October 1980, unreported) Qantas Airways Ltd v Watson [2008] NSWWCCPD 65 Roncevich v Repatriation Commission [2005] HCA 40; 222 CLR 115 Van Haeften v Caltex Oil (Australia) Pty Ltd (1995) 12 NSWCCR 250 Vdovic v Peter A Cox & Associates Pty Ltd [1999] NSWCA 247 White v Qantas Airways Ltd (unrep, NSWWCC, 23 June 2006 Workcover Authority of NSW v Walsh [2004] NSWCA 186