Roy Morgan Research Pty Ltd v. Commissioner of Taxation and Anor

Case No.

M177/2010

Case Information

Lower Court Judgment

26/05/2010 Federal Court of Australia(Keane CJ, Sundberg J & Kenny J)

[2010] FCAFC 52

Catchwords

Constitutional law — Operation and effect of Commonwealth Constitution — Power with respect to taxation (Constitution, s51(ii)) — Commonwealth legislative scheme imposing obligation upon employers to pay superannuation guarantee charge — Whether charge a tax — Whether charge imposed for public purposes — Luton v Lessels (2002) 210 CLR 333; Australian Tape Manufacturers Association Ltd v Commonwealth (1993) 176 CLR 480 — Superannuation Guarantee Charge Act 1992 (Cth) and Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (Cth).

Short Particulars

Documents

10/12/2010 Hearing (SLA, Melbourne)

23/12/2010 Notice of appeal

24/12/2010 Notice of constitutional matter

01/02/2011 Written submissions (Appellant)

01/02/2011 Chronology

15/02/2011 Written submissions (First Respondent)

15/02/2011 Written submissions (Second Respondent)

22/02/2011 Reply

30/03/2011 Hearing (Full Court, Canberra)

28/09/2011 Judgment  (Judgment summary)

Maurice Blackburn Cashman v. Brown

Case No.

M176/2010

Case Information

Lower Court Judgment

25/08/2010 Supreme Court of Victoria (Court of Appeal)(Ashley & Mandie JJA & Ross AJA)

[2010] VSCA 206

Catchwords

Damages — Statutory constraint on action for damages — Respondent former employee of applicant — Respondent made claim pursuant to Accident Compensation Act 1985 (Vic) (“the Act”) for statutory compensation for non-economic loss arising from psychological injury suffered as result of actions of fellow employee — Victorian WorkCover Authority (“WorkCover”) accepted respondent had psychological injury arising out of employment with applicant — WorkCover referred medical questions to Medical Panel for opinion under s 67 of the Act — Medical Panel certified respondent had 30% permanent psychiatric impairment resulting from accepted injury — Respondent deemed by Act to have suffered “serious injury” and permitted to commence common law proceedings for damages as result — Proceedings commenced in County Court of Victoria — Applicant’s pleadings in defence contested causation and injury — Respondent pleaded in reply that applicant estopped from making assertion inconsistent with Medical Panel opinion — Whether defendant’s right to contest common law damages claims subject to the Act compromised by Medical Board opinion — Whether Medical Board opinion gives rise to issue estoppel for purposes of common law damages proceeding.

Short Particulars

Documents

10/12/2010 Hearing (SLA, Melbourne)

21/12/2010 Notice of appeal

01/02/2011 Written submissions (Appellant)

01/02/2011 Chronology

15/02/2011 Written submissions (Respondent)

22/02/2011 Reply

21/03/2011 Supplementary written submissions (Appellant)

03/05/2011 Hearing (Full Court, Canberra)

22/06/2011 Judgment  (Judgment summary)

Jemena Gas Networks (NSW) Limited v. Mine Subsidence Board

Case No.

S312/2010

Case Information

Lower Court Judgment

28/06/2010 Supreme Court of New South Wales (Court of Appeal)(Spigelman CJ, Allsop P, Giles JA, Basten JA, Macfarlan JA)

[2010] NSWCA 146

Catchwords

Energy and resources — Compensation for subsidence caused by mining — Applicant owned and operated gas pipeline — Coal mining in vicinity of pipeline caused subsidence — Subsidence insufficient to damage pipeline, but future mining expected to cause cumulative level of subsidence sufficient to damage pipeline — Applicant engaged in preventive and mitigation works to protect pipeline — Works concluded prior to commencement of mining expected to cause damaging subsidence — Claim for compensation for costs of works rejected by respondent — Whether compensation payable for costs incurred with respect to anticipated subsidence — Whether requirement of causation in Mine Subsidence Compensation Act 1961 (NSW) s 12A(1)(b) determined by reference to single mining event or by reference to ongoing extraction in accordance with mining plan — Mine Subsidence Board v Wambo Coal Pty Ltd (2007) 54 LGERA 60 — Mine Subsidence Compensation Act 1961 (NSW) s 12A(1)(b).

Short Particulars

Documents

10/12/2010 Hearing (SLA, Sydney)

22/12/2010 Notice of appeal

01/02/2011 Written submissions (Appellant)

01/02/2011 Chronology

15/02/2011 Written submissions (Respondent)

22/02/2011 Reply

05/04/2011 Hearing (Full Court, Canberra)

01/06/2011 Judgment  (Judgment summary)

Dasreef Pty Limited v. Hawchar

Case No.

S313/2010

Case Information

Lower Court Judgment

6/07/2010 Supreme Court of New South Wales (Court of Appeal)(Allsop P, Basten JA, Campbell JA)

[2010] NSWCA 154

Catchwords

Evidence — Admissibility and relevance — Opinion evidence — Expert opinion —Expert with experience relevant to general topic of industrial dust gave opinion evidence to Dust Diseases Tribunal on concentration of silica in air — Whether expert disclosed facts, assumptions and reasoning in manner sufficient to make it plain to trial judge that expert opinion wholly or substantially based on expert’s expertise in area of contention — Whether such disclosure necessary in order for evidence to be admissible — Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) s 79.

Short Particulars

Documents

10/12/2010 Hearing (SLA, Sydney)

22/12/2010 Notice of appeal

01/02/2011 Written submissions (Appellant)

01/02/2011 Chronology

22/02/2011 Written submissions (Respondent)

01/03/2011 Reply

06/04/2011 Hearing (Full Court, Canberra)

22/06/2011 Judgment  (Judgment summary)

Cush v. Dillon
Boland v. Dillon

Case No.

S309/2010 and S310/2010

Case Information

Lower Court Judgment

15/07/2010 Supreme Court of New South Wales (Court of Appeal)(Allsop ACJ, Tobias JA, Bergin CJ in Eq)

[2010] NSWCA 165

Catchwords

Defamation — Defences — Qualified privilege — Boland and respondent directors and Cush General Manager of Borders River-Gwydir Catchment Management Authority (“the CMA”) — Respondent told chairman of CMA that “It is common knowledge among people in the CMA that [the applicants] are having an affair” — Common ground at trial that applicants not having affair and that respondent did not believe applicants having affair when comment made — Respondent denied making comment — Jury found respondent made defamatory comment — Respondent advanced defence of qualified privilege founded on perceived need to inform chairman of “the rumour and the accusation” of affair — Whether common law defence of qualified privilege available to publisher of defamatory statement who denies making statement — Whether publication of imputations of affair between director and General Manager of body, rather than rumour of possible affair, can be published by another director to chairman on occasion of qualified privilege — Whether voluntary nature of defamatory imputations decisive against defence of qualified privilege.

Short Particulars

Documents

10/12/2010 Hearing (SLA, Sydney)

22/12/2010 Notice of appeal

01/02/2011 Written submissions (Appellants)

01/02/2011 Chronology

15/02/2011 Written submissions (Respondent)

07/04/2011 Hearing (Full Court, Canberra)

10/08/2011 Judgment (Judgment summary)

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