Swiegers v Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation [2015] NSWDC 298

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Swiegers v Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation [2015] NSWDC 298 Hearing dates: Hearing: 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30 April 2015 and 30 June 2015 Decision date: 16 December 2015 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Justice Price, Chief Judge Decision: Verdict and judgment for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the defendant, against Gerhard Frederick Swiegers, the plaintiff Catchwords: CONTRACT – termination of employment contract – whether plaintiff's claim barred by acceptance of early cessation payment – whether claim barred by reason of estoppel, waiver or election – secondment – whether defendant breached contract by failing to develop a role upon return from secondment – whether plaintiff liaised with defendant – consideration of defendant's power of retrenchment – whether retrenchment was genuine – whether decision was made to retrench the plaintiff in November 2007 – whether plaintiff was not advised he was regarded as redundant for in excess of 12 months – treatment of other employees contrasted – whether closure of MDI project had anything to do with the Whistleblower Complaint – whether plaintiff likely to become excess to defendant's staffing requirements – whether genuine effort made to redeploy plaintiff – whether plaintiff actually excess to defendant's staffing requirements – whether plaintiff had future role at the CET Division Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) s 56 Cases Cited: Ashton v Pratt [2015] NSWCA 12; (2015) 88 NSWLR 281 Bank of Credit and Commerce International SA v Ali [2002] 1 AC 251 Banque des Marchands de Moscou (Koupetschesky) v Kindersley [1950] 2 All ER 549 Commonwealth v Verwayen [1990] HCA 39; (1990) 170 CLR 394 Goldman Sachs JBWere Services Pty Ltd v Nikolich [2007] FCAFC 120; (2007) 163 FCR 62 Grant v John Grant & Sons Pty Ltd [1954] HCA 23; (1954) 91 CLR 112 Karam v Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd [2001] NSWSC 709 Legione v Hateley [1983] HCA 11; (1983) 152 CLR 406 McDermott v Black [1940] HCA 4; (1940) 63 CLR 161 Qantas Airways Ltd v Gubbins (1992) 28 NSWLR 26 Romero v Farstad Shipping (Indian Pacific) Pty Ltd [2014] FCAFC 177; (2014) 315 ALR 243 Technical and Further Education Commission t/as TAFE NSW v Pykett [2014] FWCFB 714; (2014) 240 IR 130 Thorby v Goldberg [1964] HCA 41; (1964) 112 CLR 597 Toll (FGCT) Pty Ltd v Alphapharm Pty Ltd [2004] HCA 52; (2004) 219 CLR 165 Upper Hunter County District Council v Australian Chilling & Freezing Co Ltd [1968] HCA 8; (1968) 118 CLR 429 Waltons Stores (Interstate) Ltd v Maher [1988] HCA 7; (1988) 164 CLR 387 Wiltrading (WA) Pty Ltd v Lumley General Insurance Ltd [2005] WASCA 106; (2005) 30 WAR 290 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Gerhard Frederick Swiegers (Plaintiff) Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: M Gibian (Plaintiff) J Bourke QC and R Sweet (Defendant) Solicitors: Colquhoun Murphy Lawyers (Plaintiff) Norton Rose Fulbright (Defendant) File Number(s): 2013/137442