Govier v. The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (Q)

Lower Court Judgment

10/02/2017 Supreme Court of Queensland (Court of Appeal) (Fraser JA, Gotterson JA, North J)

[2017] QCA 12

Catchwords

Negligence – Duty of care – Psychiatric injury – Where appellant employed by respondent – Where appellant attacked by co-worker – Where respondent informed appellant on day of attack that her conduct was under investigation – Where appellant too ill to attend investigative interviews – Where respondent asserted appellant refused to attend interviews and made preliminary findings against her – Where appellant’s employment subsequently terminated – Where appellant claimed damages for psychiatric injuries – Where trial judge held respondent owed no duty of care to appellant with respect to conduct of investigative process – Where Court of Appeal dismissed appeal – Whether Court of Appeal erred in concluding respondent did not owe appellant duty of care in respect of investigative process.

Short particulars