De Belin v Australian Rugby League Commission Limited

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Court: Federal Court (Australia)
• Judge: PERRY J
• Judgment Date: 17 May 2019
• Neutral Citation: [2019] FCA 688
• Date: 17 May 2019

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

De Belin v Australian Rugby League Commission Limited [2019] FCA 688

File number:	NSD 309 of 2019
Judge:	PERRY J
Date of judgment:	17 May 2019
Catchwords:	CONTRACTS – restraint of trade – where applicant is a professional rugby league player contracted by a club to play rugby league in the National Rugby League (NRL) Competition – where applicant licenced his name, image and reputation in his playing contract – where applicant charged with aggravated sexual assault in company – where applicant has pleaded not guilty but charges are not yet determined – where the applicant was automatically stood down from playing in the NRL Competition under a new rule automatically subjecting players charged with criminal offences punishable by a maximum penalty of 11 years to a “no-fault stand down condition” – where player stood down on full pay and permitted to continue to train with his club – whether the new rule was reasonably necessary to protect the legitimate interests of the respondents, having regard to the seriousness of the restraint imposed upon the player – where the evidence established a clear and present danger to the legitimate interests of the respondents – whether the new rule imposed an indefinite condition – whether the new rule operated in a relevantly retrospective way – where no opportunity for the applicant to make submissions or seek review of the application of the no-fault stand down condition – whether real danger of contempt of court if the NRL were to determine whether there had been a breach of the NRL Code of Conduct – application dismissed ; TORTS – whether the imposition of the new rule constituted an unlawful interference with the applicant’s Playing Contract with his Club – whether the applicant had established any loss or damage as a result of the no-fault automatic stand down condition – where no intention established to induce or procure the interference in the Playing Contract – where the NRL Rules and interlocking contractual matrix provided that players are bound by the NRL Rules as amended from time to time ; CONSUMER LAW – whether, before the new rule was adopted, the respondents had made misleading or deceptive statements in breach of s 18 of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) – where the representations are not properly pleaded – whether any loss or damage established ; CONSUMER LAW – whether, in imposing the new rule, the respondents engaged in unconscionable conduct contrary to s 21 of the ACL
Legislation:	Australian Consumer Law s 18, 21, 22 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 21 Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) s 137 Restraints of Trade Act 1976 (NSW) s 4(1) Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) r 16.02, 16.42
Cases cited:	Adamson v New South Wales Rugby League Limited (1991) 27 FCR 535 Adamson v New South Wales Rugby League Limited (1991) 31 FCR 242; (1991) 103 ALR 319 Adamson v West Perth Football Club (1979) 27 ALR 475 Ainsworth v Criminal Justice Commission (1992) 175 CLR 564 Allstate Life Insurance Co v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (1995) 58 FCR 26 Amoco Australia Pty Ltd v Rocca Bros Motor Engineering Co Ltd (1973) 133 CLR 288 Annetts v McCann (1990) 170 CLR 596 Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Limited v Commonwealth (1977) 139 CLR 54 Arnautovic v Cvitanovic [2011] FCA 809; (2011) 199 FCR 1 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Limited [2014] FCA 634; (2014) 317 ALR 73 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Medibank Private Limited [2018] FCAFC 235 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Oticon Australia Pty Limited [2018] FCA 1826 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v TPG Internet Pty Ltd [2013] HCA 54; (2013) 250 CLR 640 Australian Parking and Revenue Control Pty Ltd v Reino International Pty Ltd [2016] FCA 744 Avenia v Railway & Transport Health Fund Ltd [2017] FCA 859; (2017) 272 IR 151 Banque Commerciale SA (en liq) v Akhil Holdings Limited (1990) 169 CLR 279 Beetson v Humphreys (unreported, Supreme Court of New South Wales, David Hunt J, 30 April 1980) Boase v Seven Network (Operations) Ltd [2005] WASC 269 Buckley v Tutty (1971) 125 CLR 353 Butcher v Lachlan Elder Realty Pty Limited [2004] HCA 60; (2004) 218 CLR 592 Campbell v Backoffice Investments Pty Ltd [2009] HCA 25; (2009) 238 CLR 304 Commercial Union Assurance Co of Australia Ltd v Ferrcom Pty Ltd (1991) 22 NSWLR 389 Daebo Shipping Company Ltd v The Ship Go Star [2012] FCAFC 156; (2012) 207 FCR 220 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Wran (1987) 7 NSWLR 616 Downe v Sydney West Area Health Service (No 2) [2008] NSWSC 159; (2008) 71 NSWLR 633 Global Sportsman Pty Ltd v Mirror Newspapers Pty Ltd (1984) 2 FCR 82 Grieg v Insole [1978] 1 WLR 302 Hammond v Commonwealth (1982) 152 CLR 188 Harrington-Smith v Western Australia (No 2) [2003] FCA 893; (2003) 130 FCR 424 Henville v Walker [2001] HCA 52; (2001) 206 CLR 459 Ho v Powell [2001] NSWCA 168; (2001) 51 NSWLR 572 Hospital Products Limited v United States Surgical Corporation (1984) 156 CLR 41 Hughes v Western Australian Cricket Association (Inc) (1986) 19 FCR 10 Industrial Alliance Life Insurance Company v Cabiakman [2004] 3 SCR 195 Informax International Pty Ltd v Clarius Group Ltd [2012] FCAFC 165; (2012) 207 FCR 298 Jarratt v Commissioner of Police [2005] HCA 50; (2005) 224 CLR 44 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Maggbury Pty Limited v Hafele Australia Pty Limited [2001] HCA 70; (2001) 210 CLR 181 March v E & M H Stramare Pty Limited (1991) 171 CLR 506 McHugh v Australian Jockey Club Ltd [2014] FCAFC 45; (2014) 314 ALR 20 Mikaelian v Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation [1999] FCA 610; (1999) 163 ALR 172 Mirror Newspapers Limited v Harrison (1982) 149 CLR 293 National Coal Board v Galley [1958] 1 WLR 16; 1 All ER 91 Nordenfelt v Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company Ltd [1894] AC 535 Orton v Melman [1981] 1 NSWLR 583 Paciocco v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd [2015] FCAFC 50; (2015) 236 FCR 199 Parkdale Custom Built Furniture Pty Ltd v Puxu Pty Ltd (1982) 149 CLR 191 Peters (WA) Limited v Petersville Limited [2001] HCA 45; (2001) 205 CLR 126 Priest v New South Wales [2006] NSWSC 12 Queensland Co-operative Milling Association v Pamag Pty Limited (1973) 133 CLR 260 RAIA Insurance Brokers Limited v FAI General Insurance Co Limited (1990) 41 FCR 164 Riverwood International Australia Pty Ltd v McCormick [2000] FCA 889; (2000) 177 ALR 193 Roads and Traffic Authority v Royal [2008] HCA 19; (2008) 82 ALJR 870 S & V Nominees Pty Ltd (in liq) v Rabobank Australia Limited (No 2) [2011] FCA 1039 Schellenberg v Tunnel Holdings Pty Ltd [2000] HCA 18; (2000) 200 CLR 121 Trade Practices Commission v Legion Cabs (Trading) Co-op Society Ltd (1978) 35 FLR 372 Truth About Motorways Pty Limited v Macquarie Infrastructure Investment Management Limited [2000] HCA 11; (2000) 200 CLR 591 Truth About Motorways Pty Ltd v Macquarie Infrastructure Investment Management Ltd (1998) 42 IPR 1 Waddell v mathematics.com.au Pty Ltd [2013] NSWSC 142 Wardley Australia Limited v Western Australia (1992) 175 CLR 514 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 Woolworths Ltd v Olson [2004] NSWCA 372 Zhu v Treasurer (NSW) [2004] HCA 56; (2004) 218 CLR 530
Date of hearing:	15-18 April 2019
Date of last submissions:	24 April 2019

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