Liftronic Pty Ltd v Unver
[2001] HCA 24(2001) 75 ALJR 867
[2001] Aust Torts Reports 81-604
(2001) 179 ALR 321
Liftronic Pty Ltd
vUnver
Judges:
Gleeson CJ
McHugh J
Gummow J
Kirby J
Callinan J
Legislative References:
Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1965 (NSW) - s 10(1)
Judgment date: 3 May 2001
Order
1. Appeal allowed.
2. Set aside the Orders of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of New South Wales made on 7 February 2000.
3. Remit the matter to the Court of Appeal for determination, in accordance with the reasons for judgment in this Court, of the nett amount for which judgment should be entered, and of the question of costs in that Court.
4. Respondent to pay the costs of the appeal to this Court.
(1985) 59 ALJR 492 at 493-494; 59 ALR 529 at 532 per Gibbs CJ, Mason, Wilson, Brennan and Deane JJ.
(1980) 146 CLR 40 at 47-48.
Podrebersek v Australian Iron and Steel Pty Ltd (1985) 59 ALJR 492 at 494; 59 ALR 529 at 532-533; see also Wynbergen v Hoyts Corp Pty Ltd (1997) 72 ALJR 65 at 68; 149 ALR 25 at 29.
The Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1965 (NSW) has since been amended. See Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Act 2000 (NSW) (Act No 111 of 2000 ).
Pennington v Norris (1956) 96 CLR 10 at 16.
[1958] VR 594 at 595.
Podrebersek v Australian Iron and Steel (1985) 59 ALJR 492 ; 59 ALR 529 ; Kulczycki v Metalex Pty Ltd [1995] 2 VR 377 at 383; Coleman v Latrobe University (unreported, Court of Appeal of Victoria, 8 September 1995 ); Butler v Rick Cuneen Logging Pty Ltd [1997] 2 VR 99 at 104; Moundalek v Woolworths Ltd (unreported, Court of Appeal of New South Wales, 22 October 1997 ).
(1980) 146 CLR 40 at 47-48.
(1986) 160 CLR 301 .
Bankstown Foundry Pty Ltd v Braistina (1986) 160 CLR 301 at 307 and 313 -314.
University of Wollongong v Metwally (No 2) (1985) 59 ALJR 481 at 483; 60 ALR 68 at 71; Coulton v Holcombe (1986) 162 CLR 1 at 8-9.
(1985) 59 ALJR 481 at 483; 60 ALR 68 at 71.
Unver v Liftronic Pty Ltd [1999] NSWCA 275 .
Unver v Liftronic Pty Ltd [1999] NSWCA 275 at [2]-[4].
(1985) 59 ALJR 492 ; 59 ALR 529 .
Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1965 (NSW) s10(1).
Bankstown Foundry Pty Ltd v Braistina (1986) 160 CLR 301 at 309. See also at 307-308 (emphasis added).
From a judgment of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (Court of Appeal): Unver v Liftronic Pty Ltd [1999] NSWCA 275 .
Applying the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1965 (NSW), s10(1).
Brownie AJA, Mason P concurring; Meagher JA dissenting.
cf Haigh, "'It is trite and ancient law': The High Court and the use of the obvious", (2000) 28 Federal Law Review 87.
David Syme & Co v Canavan (1918) 25 CLR 234 at 240; Hocking v Bell (1945) 71 CLR 430 at 440; cf Naxakis v Western General Hospital (1999) 197 CLR 269 at 287 [53].
As explained in Naxakis v Western General Hospital (1999) 197 CLR 269 at 288-291 [55]-[60].
Naxakis v Western General Hospital (1999) 197 CLR 269 at 289-290 [58].
Progress and Properties Ltd v Craft (1976) 135 CLR 651 at 672.
Calin v Greater Union Organisation Pty Ltd (1991) 173 CLR 33 at 41 (emphasis omitted).
For example in Hocking v Bell (1945) 71 CLR 430 at 487, Starke J said "the verdict is not disturbed unless the jury, viewing the whole evidence reasonably, could not properly find it". In Precision Plastics Pty Ltd v Demir (1975) 132 CLR 362 at 369, Gibbs J described the circumstances of intervention in an award of damages as occurring only when they were "so excessive or so inadequate that no jury could reasonably have awarded them, or ... [were] out of all proportion to the circumstances of the case".
Podrebersek v Australian Iron and Steel Pty Ltd (1985) 59 ALJR 492 at 493-494 ("Podrebersek"); 59 ALR 529 at 532.
Precision Plastics Pty Ltd v Demir (1975) 132 CLR 362 .
Public Service Board of NSW v Osmond (1986) 159 CLR 656 at 666.
Podrebersek (1985) 59 ALJR 492 at 494; 59 ALR 529 at 532; Zoukra v Lowenstern [1958] VR 594 ; Valkanis v Cox (1988) 7 MVR 513 .
By virtue of Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW), s151N. S10 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1965 (NSW) has been replaced by the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Act 2000 (NSW), s9.
Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1965 (NSW), s10(1). Similar provisions appear in the law of other States: Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic), s26(1); Wrongs Act 1936 (SA), s27A(3); Law Reform (Tortfeasors Contribution, Contributory Negligence, and Division of Chattels) Act 1952 (Qld), s10(1); Tortfeasors and Contributory Negligence Act 1954 (Tas), s4(1); Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1956 (NT), s16(1); Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1955 (ACT), s15(1). The Law Reform (Contributory Negligence and Tortfeasors' Contribution) Act 1947 (WA), s4(1) is in slightly different form.
British Fame (Owners) v Macgregor (Owners) [1943] AC 197 at 201 applied in Podrebersek (1985) 59 ALJR 492 at 494; 59 ALR 529 at 532.
Progress and Properties Ltd v Craft (1976) 135 CLR 651 .
Hydro Electric Commission v Kemp [1966] Tas SR (NC) 29.
University of Wollongong v Metwally (No 2) (1985) 59 ALJR 481 at 483; 60 ALR 68 at 71.
District Court Act 1973 (NSW), s127; Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s48(1)(a)(iv), s75A(2).
Precision Plastics Pty Ltd v Demir (1975) 132 CLR 362 at 370.
cf, by analogy, Coal & Allied Operations Pty Ltd v Australian Industrial Relations Commission (2000) 74 ALJR 1348 at 1368 [86]; 174 ALR 585 at 611 where the need for this Court to avoid "double standards" was referred to.
Podrebersek (1985) 59 ALJR 492 at 494; 59 ALR 529 at 532.
(1997) 72 ALJR 65 at 70; 149 ALR 25 at 31.
(1956) 96 CLR 10 at 17.
Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s105, s106.
Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s107(c)(ii). See also s107(c)(iii).
Counsel for the worker urged no more than 5 to 10 %. Counsel for the employer urged 75%: Charge to the jury of Dodd DCJ, District Court of New South Wales, 14 October 1998 at 14.
(1985) 59 ALJR 492 ; 59 ALR 529 .
cf reasons of McHugh J at [24].
Reasons of McHugh J at [5], [18]-[20] and [40].
cf reasons of McHugh J at [43].
Charge to the jury of Dodd DCJ, 15 October 1998 at 19-21.
Charge to the jury of Dodd DCJ, 14 October 1998 at 13.
Charge to the jury of Dodd DCJ, 14 October 1998 at 13 (emphasis added).
Pennington v Norris (1956) 96 CLR 10 at 16.
Hamilton v Nuroof (WA) Pty Ltd (1956) 96 CLR 18 .
Kondis v State Transport Authority (1984) 154 CLR 672 at 678; McDermid v Nash Dredging & Reclamation Co Ltd [1987] AC 906 at 918.
Views as to what is "just and equitable" can differ greatly: cf Balkin and Davis, Law of Torts, 2nd ed (1996) at 348, n 107 citing Annual Survey of Australian Law (1982) at 249. It involves not only a comparison of culpability (that is the degree of departure from the standard of care of the reasonable person) but also a comparison of the relative importance of the acts of the parties in causing the damage: Podrebersek (1985) 59 ALJR 492 at 494; 59 ALR 529 at 532-533 citing Stapley v Gypsum Mines Ltd [1953] AC 663 at 682; Smith v McIntyre [1958] Tas SR 36 at 42-49; Broadhurst v Millman [1976] VR 208 at 219 and cases there cited. See also Covacevich v Thomson [1988] Aust Torts Rep ¶80-153 at 67,373.
(1984) 155 CLR 306 at 313.
(1986) 160 CLR 301 at 309 ("Braistina").
cf reasons of McHugh J at [38].
Braistina (1986) 160 CLR 301 at 309 citing McLean v Tedman (1984) 155 CLR 306 at 313.
Braistina (1986) 160 CLR 301 at 309, 314.
eg Smith v The Broken Hill Pty Co Ltd (1957) 97 CLR 337 at 342-343; Da Costa v Cockburn Salvage & Trading Pty Ltd (1970) 124 CLR 192 at 218.
Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1965 (NSW), s10(1).
Creighton, Ford and Mitchell, Labour Law, 2nd ed (1993) at 1437, para41.22 citing McLean v Tedman (1984) 155 CLR 306 ; Braistina (1986) 160 CLR 301 ; Nicol v Allyacht Spars Pty Ltd (1987) 163 CLR 611 ; Bus v Sydney County Council (1989) 167 CLR 78 .
Caswell v Powell Duffryn Associated Collieries Ltd [1940] AC 152 at 178-179 per Lord Wright; cf Creighton, Ford and Mitchell, Labour Law, 2nd ed (1993) at 1437, para41.22; Fleming, The Law of Torts, 9th ed (1998) at 573; Balkin and Davis, Law of Torts, 2nd ed (1996) at 338-340, 347-348.
Carlyle v Commissioner for Railways (1954) 54 SR (NSW) 238 at 249; Commissioner of Railways v Ruprecht (1979) 142 CLR 563 .
Commissioner for Railways v Halley (1978) 20 ALR 409 .
Sungravure Pty Ltd v Meani (1964) 110 CLR 24 at 36; McLean v Tedman (1984) 155 CLR 306 at 312. See also Ferraloro v Preston Timber Pty Ltd (1982) 56 ALJR 872 at 873; 42 ALR 627 at 629.
Glass, McHugh and Douglas, The Liability of Employers, 2nd ed (1979) at 224, n 54.
[1999] NSWCA 275 at [2].
McLean v Tedman (1984) 155 CLR 306 at 315; SS Heranger (Owners) v SS Diamond (Owners) [1939] AC 94 at 101; Hicks v British Transport Commission [1958] 2 All ER 39 ; Balkin and Davis, Law of Torts, 2nd ed (1996) at 338, n 37.
[1999] NSWCA 275 at [3].
Calin v Greater Union Organisation Pty Ltd (1991) 173 CLR 33 at 41; cf Progress and Properties Ltd v Craft (1976) 135 CLR 651 at 673 where the word was used by Jacobs J (with whom Stephen, Mason and Murphy JJ concurred). Note that the word "perverse" was also used by Brownie AJA: [1999] NSWCA 275 at [14]. It was used by me in the New South Wales Court of Appeal and corrected in Calin v Greater Union Organisation Pty Ltd (1991) 173 CLR 33 at 41.
[1999] NSWCA 275 at [14].
[1999] NSWCA 275 at [13].
[1999] NSWCA 275 at [14].
[1999] NSWCA 275 at [14].
[1999] NSWCA 275 at [14].
Caswell v Powell Duffryn Associated Collieries Ltd [1940] AC 152 at 178-179 per Lord Wright, referring to the preoccupation of a worker "in what [he or she] is actually doing at the cost perhaps of some inattention to [his or her] own safety"; cf Bassanese v Freightbases Pty Ltd (1981) 26 SASR 508 : Knight v Robert Laurie Pty Ltd [1961] WAR 129 at 133; Fleming, The Law of Torts, 9th ed (1998) at 572; Trindade and Cane, The Law of Torts in Australia, 3rd ed (1999) at 598-599.
Commissioner for Railways v Halley (1978) 20 ALR 409 ; cf Trindade and Cane, The Law of Torts in Australia, 3rd ed (1999) at 599.
(1986) 160 CLR 301 . See also Schellenberg v Tunnel Holdings Pty Ltd (2000) 200 CLR 121 at 159-160 [101].
(1986) 160 CLR 301 at 314.
Reasons of Gummow and Callinan JJ at [58].
Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1965 (NSW), s10(1).