Bartlett v Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd [2016] NSWCA 30

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Bartlett v Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd [2016] NSWCA 30 Hearing dates: 14 and 15 September 2015 Decision date: 07 March 2016 Before: Macfarlan JA at [1]; Meagher JA at [98]; Simpson JA at [108] Decision: (1) Allow the appeal. (2) Set aside the orders made by Adamson J on 24 November 2014. (3) Note that the appellant will be entitled to a judgment in the sum of $110,000 together with interest under s 100 of the Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) from 15 August 2012 to the date of judgment. (4) Direct the parties to lodge with the Court within 14 days of the date of this judgment a form of consent order providing for the entry of a judgment inclusive of interest in accordance with (3) above. (5) Order the respondent to pay the appellant's costs of the proceedings at first instance. (6) Order the respondent to pay 50% of the appellant's costs of his appeal. Catchwords: CONTRACT – contract of employment – summary termination for serious misconduct – whether sufficient that employer held the opinion that misconduct had occurred or whether necessary for it to prove that misconduct did in fact occur – if dependent upon employer's opinion, whether employer obliged to act reasonably in forming opinion

CONTRACT – contract of employment – power to terminate on notice for any reason – whether employer obliged to act reasonably

EVIDENCE – expert evidence – dispute between experts – relevance of demeanour

DAMAGES – contract of employment – wrongful dismissal – whether but for the breach of contract the employer would have exercised its right to terminate the employment on notice for any reason – consideration of the hypothetical circumstances to be postulated Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 140 Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 100 Cases Cited: Associated Provincial Pictures Houses Ltd v Wednesbury Corporation [1948] 1 KB 223 Australian Workers' Union v Bowen (No 2) [1948] HCA 35; 77 CLR 601 Blyth Chemicals Ltd v Bushnell [1933] HCA 8; 49 CLR 66 at 81 Braganza v BP Shipping Ltd [2015] UKSC 17; 1 WLR 1661 Burger King Corporation v Hungry Jack's Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 187; 69 NSWLR 558 Briginshaw v Briginsahw [1938] HCA 34; 60 CLR 336 Commonwealth v Amann Aviation Pty Ltd [1991] HCA 54; 174 CLR 64 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Barker [2014] HCA 32; 253 CLR 169 Cromwell Property Securities Ltd v Financial Ombudsman Service Ltd [2014] VSCA 179; 288 FLR 374 Garry Rogers Motors Aust Pty Ltd v Subaru (Aust) Pty Ltd [1999] FCA 903; ATPR 41-703 GEC Marconi Systems Pty Ltd v BHP Information Technology Pty Ltd [2003] FCA 50; 128 FCR 1 Gramotnev v Queensland University of Technology [2015] QCA 127 Heptonstall v Gaskin (No 2) [2005] NSWSC 30 Horkulak v Cantor Fitzgerald International [2004] EWCA Civ 1287; (2005) ICR 402 Interstar Wholesale Finance Pty Limited v Integral Home Loans Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 310; 257 ALR 292 Intico (Vic.) Pty Ltd v Walmsley [2004] VSCA 90 Jarratt v Commissioner of Police (NSW) [2005] HCA 50; 224 CLR 44 Johnson v Unisys Ltd (2001) ICR 480 Kellogg Brown Root Pty Ltd v Australian Aerospace Ltd [2007] VSC 200 K & M Prodanovski Pty Ltd v Calliden Insurance Ltd [2012] NSWCA 117 Maredelanto Compania Naviera SA v Bergbau-Handel GmbH; The Mihalis Angelos [1971] 1 QB 164 Marmax Investments Pty Ltd v RPR Maintenance Pty Ltd [2015] FCAFC 127 Mount Bruce Mining Pty Ltd v Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd (No 2) [2014] NSWCA 425 Murray Irrigation Ltd v Balsdon [2006] NSWCA 253; 67 NSWLR 73 New South Wales Cancer Council v Sarfaty (1992) 28 NSWLR 68 New Zealand Shipping Co Ltd v Société des Ateliers et Chantiers de France [1919] AC 1 Russell v The Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Arch-Diocese of Sydney [2008] NSWCA 217; 72 NSWLR 559 Service Station Association Ltd v Berg Bennett & Associates Pty Ltd (1993) 45 FCR 84; 117 ALR 393 TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd v Hayden Enterprises Pty Ltd [1989] 16 NSWLR 130 United Group Rail Services Ltd v Rail Corporation New South Wales [2009] NSWCA 177; 74 NSWLR 618 Water Board v Moustakas [1988] HCA 12; 180 CLR 491 Wiki v Atlantic Relocations (NSW) Pty Ltd [2004] NSWCA 174; 60 NSWLR 127 Willis Australia Group Services Pty Ltd v Mitchell-Innes [2015] NSWCA 381 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Paul William Bartlett (Appellant) Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: A J Sullivan QC/T Brennan (Appellant) C J Murdoch (Respondent)