Donnelly v Health Care Complaints Commission (NSW) [2011] NSWSC 705

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Donnelly v Health Care Complaints Commission (NSW) [2011] NSWSC 705 Hearing dates: 25 May; 10 June 2011 Decision date: 08 July 2011 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Fullerton J Decision: Appeal upheld in part Catchwords: Appeal from Psychologists Tribunal of New South Wales - professional misconduct - protective order - statutory test for professional misconduct - failure to give adequate reasons - insufficient evidentiary basis - failure to resolve critical factual disputes - civil standard of proof in Briginshaw v Briginshaw - denial of procedural fairness - mandatory reporting - failure to report under s 27 of the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act Legislation Cited: Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW) Medical Practice Act 1992 Pharmacy Practice Act 2006 Psychologists Act 2001 Supreme Court Act 1970 Cases Cited: Allinson v General Council of Medical Education and Registration [1894] 1 QB 750 Aon Risk Services Australia Ltd v Australian National University [2009] HCA 27; 239 CLR 175 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Daskalopoulos v Health Care Complaints Commission [2002] NSWCA 200 Fox v Perry [2003] HCA 22; 214 CLR 158 HCCC v Dene & Donnelly (No 2) [2010] NSWPST 4 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499 Kuswardana v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1981) 35 ALR 186 Lindsay v Health Care Complaints Commission [2010] NSWCA 194 Lucire v Health Care Complaints Commission [2011] NSWCA 99 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZMDS [2010] HCA 16; 240 CLR 611 Ng v NSW Health Care Complaints Commission [2010] NSWSC 1220 O'Sullivan v Health Care Complaints Commission [2008] NSWCA 295 Paric v John Holland (Constructions) Pty Ltd (1985) 62 ALR 85 Pillai v Messiter (No 2) (1989) 16 NSWLR 197 Polglaze v Veterinary Practitioners Board of New South Wales [2009] NSWSC 347 Pollard v RRR Corporation Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 110 Prakash v Health Care Complaints Commission [2006] NSWCA 153 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority [1998] HCA 28; 194 CLR 355 Qantas Airways Ltd v Gama [2008] FCAFC 69; 167 FCR 537 Qidwai v Brown [1984] 1 NSWLR 100 Repatriation Commission v Warren [2008] FCAFC 64; 167 FCR 511 Rosenberg v Percival [2001] HCA 18; 205 CLR 434 Sakalo v Medical Board of Western Australia [2002] WASCA 178 Sinha v Health Care Complaints Commission [2001] NSWCA 206 Sydney United Football Club Pty Ltd v Soccer New South Wales Ltd [2005] NSWSC 474 Category: Principal judgment Parties: James Donnelly (Plaintiff) Health Care Complaints Commission (NSW) (Defendant) Representation: R Graycar/B Kaplan (Plaintiff) K Stern (Defendant) Crane Law (Plaintiff) Health Care Complaints Commission (NSW) (Defendant) File Number(s): 2010/266018 Publication restriction: Order prohibiting the publication of the names of certain persons who are to be referred to by pseudonyms only