State of New South Wales v Briggs [2016] NSWCA 344

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: State of New South Wales v Briggs [2016] NSWCA 344 Hearing dates: 23 August 2016 Decision date: 09 December 2016 Before: McColl JA at [1]; Ward JA at [31]; Leeming JA at [32] Decision: 1. Appeal allowed. 2. Set aside orders 1-3 made on 23 October 2015 and orders 1-7 made on 16 December 2015 and in lieu thereof, there be judgment for the defendant. 3. Within 7 days, or such longer time as may be granted by a single Judge of Appeal on application by either party, the parties are to file and serve agreed minutes of any further orders, or, in the absence of agreement, the orders which they propose and short submissions in support of those orders, with a view to all remaining issues being dealt with on the papers. Catchwords: NEGLIGENCE – psychological injury – police officer exposed to traumatic events – officer ultimately diagnosed with PTSD and discharged – primary judge found negligence in failing earlier to diagnose and treat officer's psychological injury – challenge to findings of duty, breach and causation – nature of duty owed – effect of statutes upon scope or content of duty – requirement of prospective formulation – need to identify a system or general instruction which would probably have prevented psychological injury

POLICE – nature and incidents of service of police officers – vicarious liability of State for tortious conduct of police officers Legislation Cited: Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW), s 53 Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), s 3B Crown Proceedings Act 1988 (NSW), s 5 District Court Act 1973 (NSW), s 44 Employees Liability Act 1991 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 144 Law Reform (Vicarious Liability) Act 1983 (NSW), ss 6, 8, 10; Part 4 Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 (NSW), s 134 Police Act 1990 (NSW), ss 4, 6, 8, 13, 14, 145, 201, 211AA, 213 Police Legislation Amendment (Civil Liability) Act 2003 (NSW) Police Regulation (Superannuation) Act 1906 (NSW) Police Regulation 2008 (NSW), reg 8, Divs 4 and 5 Police Regulation 2015 (NSW), Part 5 Police Service Regulation 1990 (NSW), regs 12, 13 Police Service Regulation 2000 (NSW), regs 9, 11 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 14.14 Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW), s 7 Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW), ss 2A, 3; Part 5, ss 151A, 151D Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (NSW), s 4 Cases Cited: Attorney‑General for New South Wales v Perpetual Trustee Company (Ltd) (1952) 85 CLR 237 Attorney-General for New South Wales v Perpetual Trustee Company (Ltd) (1955) 92 CLR 113 Badenach v Calbert [2016] HCA 18; 90 ALJR 610 Barber v Somerset County Council [2004] UKHL 13; [2004] 1 WLR 1089 Benic v State of New South Wales [2010] NSWSC 1039 Benn v State of New South Wales [2016] NSWCA 314 Box Hill Institute of TAFE v Johnson [2015] VSCA 245 Briggs v State of New South Wales (No 2) [2015] NSWDC 299 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council (2001) 206 CLR 512; [2001] HCA 29 CAL No 14 Pty Ltd v Motor Accidents Insurance Board (2009) 239 CLR 390; [2009] HCA 47 Chester v Council of Municipality of Waverley (1939) 62 CLR 1; [1939] HCA 25 Chilton v Corporation of London (1878) 7 Ch D 735 Comcare v PVYW (2013) 250 CLR 246; [2013] HCA 41 Commissioner of Police v Estate of Russell (2002) 55 NSWLR 232; [2002] NSWCA 272 Commonwealth v Quince (1944) 68 CLR 227 Dovuro Pty Ltd v Wilkins (2003) 215 CLR 317; [2003] HCA 51 Enever v The King (1906) 3 CLR 969 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd (2007) 230 CLR 89; [2007] HCA 22 Hegarty v Queensland Ambulance Service [2007] QCA 366; [2007] Aust Torts Reports 81-919 Hoffmann v Boland [2013] NSWCA 158; [2013] Aust Torts Reports 82-134 Hull v Thompson [2001] NSWCA 359 Hunter and New England Local Health District v McKenna (2014) 253 CLR 270; [2014] HCA 44 Kable v State of New South Wales [2012] NSWCA 243; 293 ALR 719 King v Philcox (2015) 255 CLR 304; [2015] HCA 19 Koehler v Cerebos (Australia) Ltd (2005) 222 CLR 44; [2005] HCA 15 Kuhl v Zurich Financial Services Australia Ltd (2011) 243 CLR 361; [2011] HCA 11 Little v Commonwealth (1947) 75 CLR 94 McDonald v National Grid Electricity Transmission plc [2014] UKSC 53; [2014] 3 WLR 1197 McDonald v State of New South Wales [2001] NSWCA 303; [2001] Aust Torts Reports 81-620 Miller v Miller (2011) 242 CLR 446; [2011] HCA 9 Modbury Triangle Shopping Centre Pty Ltd v Anzil (2000) 205 CLR 254; [2000] HCA 61 Morris v KLM Royal Dutch Airlines [2002] 2 AC 628; [2002] UKHL 7 Mount Isa Mines Ltd v Pusey (1970) 125 CLR 383 Mushroom Composters Pty Ltd v IS & DE Robertson Pty Ltd [2015] NSWCA 1 Nationwide News Pty Ltd v Naidu (2007) 71 NSWLR 471; [2007] NSWCA 377 New South Wales v Williamson [2005] NSWCA 352 O'Connor v S P Bray Ltd (1937) 56 CLR 464 Oceanic Crest Shipping Co v Pilbara Harbour Services Pty Ltd (1986) 160 CLR 626 Perre v Apand (1999) 198 CLR 180; [1999] HCA 36 Police Service (NSW) v Honeysett (2001) 53 NSWLR 592; [2001] NSWCA 452 S v State of New South Wales [2008] NSWSC 933 S v State of New South Wales [2009] NSWCA 164 Schultz v McCormack [2015] NSWCA 330 Sheikh v Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police [1990] 1 QB 637 Shoalhaven City Council v Pender [2013] NSWCA 210 State of New South Wales v Ball (2007) 69 NSWLR 463; [2007] NSWCA 71 State of New South Wales v Burton [2006] NSWCA 12; [2006] Aust Torts Reports 81-826 State of New South Wales v Fahy (2007) 232 CLR 486; [2007] HCA 20 Sullivan v Moody (2001) 207 CLR 562; [2001] HCA 59 Tame v New South Wales (2002) 211 CLR 317; [2002] HCA 35 Universal Film Manufacturing Company (Australasia) Ltd v New South Wales (1927) 40 CLR 333 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council (2005) 223 CLR 422; [2005] HCA 62 Veljanovska v Verduci (2014) 42 VR 222; [2014] VSCA 15 Victorian Railways Commissioners v Coultas (1888) 13 App Cas 222 Vozza v Tooth & Co Ltd (1964) 112 CLR 316 White v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police [1999] 2 AC 455 Wicks v State Rail Authority (NSW) (2010) 241 CLR 60; [2010] HCA 22 Woolcock Street Investments Pty Ltd v CDG Pty Ltd (2004) 216 CLR; [2004] HCA 16 Woolworths Ltd v Perrins [2015] QCA 207 WorkPac Pty Ltd v Thearle [2016] NSWCA 303 Wyong Shire Council v Shirt (1980) 146 CLR 40 Texts Cited: J Carabetta, "Employment Status of the Police in Australia" (2003) 27(1) Melbourne University Law Review 1 Z Cowen, 'Crown Service: The Action per quod servitium amisit and the Police' (1953) 69 Law Quarterly Review 177 N Foster and A Apps "The neglected tort – Breach of statutory duty and workplace injuries under the Model Work Health and Safety Law" (2015) 28 Australian Journal of Labour Law 57 R Guthrie, "Sick leave and workers' compensation for police officers in Australia" (2010) 17 Journal of Law and Medicine 816 P Handford, Tort Liability for Psychiatric Damage (2nd ed, 2006, Lawbook Co) New South Wales Ombudsman, Special Report to Parliament, Officers Under Stress (June 1999) W Wade and C Forsyth, Administrative Law (11th ed, 2014, Oxford University Press) Category: Principal judgment Parties: State of New South Wales (Appellant) Ryan Briggs (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: TGR Parker SC / S Flett (Appellant) I Roberts SC / T Ower (Respondent)