Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions v Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean AS

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Court: Federal Court
• Judgment Date: 04 February 2021
• Neutral Citation: [2021] FCA 52
• Date: 04 February 2021

Federal Court of Australia

Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions v Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean AS [2021] FCA 52

File number:	NSD 1356 of 2019
Judgment of:	WIGNEY J
Date of judgment:	4 February 2021
Catchwords:	CRIMINAL LAW – sentencing – cartel conduct – giving effect to a cartel provision – where offender is a corporation – where offender pleaded guilty – rolled up offence – appropriate pecuniary penalty – where offender provided bulk shipping services of “roll on, roll off” cargo to Australia
Legislation:	Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) ss 4F, 5, 44ZZRB, 44ZZRD, 44ZZRD(1), 44ZZRD(3)(b)(i), 44ZZRD(4)(a), 44ZZRD(4)(b), 44ZZRD(4)(b)(c), 44ZZRG, 44ZZRG(1), 44ZZRG(1)(a), 44ZZRG(1)(b), 44ZZRG(2), 44ZZRG(3), 44ZZRG(3)(b), 45AG, 79A(3) Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) ss 15A(1), 16A, 16A(1), 16A(2), 16A(2)(a), 16A(2)(b), 16A(2)(c), 16A(2)(d), 16A(2)(e), 16A(2)(f), 16A(2)(g), 16A(2)(h), 16A(2)(j), 16A(2)(ja), 16A(2)(k), 16A(2)(m), 16A(2)(n), 16AB, 16AC, 16BA, 16BA(1), 16BA(2), 16C, 16C(1), 16C(2) Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) ss 5.3, 5.6(1) Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) s 191 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 23AB(1)(b)
Cases cited:	Attorney General’s Application Under s 37 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (No 1 of 2002) (2002) 56 NSWLR 146 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v ABB Transmission and Distribution Limited (No 2) [2002] FCA 559; 190 ALR 169 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited [2016] FCA 1516; 118 ACSR 124 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v J McPhee & Son (Australia) Pty Ltd (No 5) [1998] FCA 310; ATPR 41-628 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v TPG Internet Pty Ltd (2013) 250 CLR 640 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Visa Inc [2015] FCA 1020; 339 ALR 413 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Visy Industries Holdings Pty Limited (No 3) [2007] FCA 1617; 244 ALR 673 Barbaro v The Queen (2014) 253 CLR 58 Bui v Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) (2012) 244 CLR 638 Cameron v The Queen (2002) 209 CLR 339 CMB v Attorney General for New South Wales (2015) 256 CLR 346 Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions v Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd [2019] FCA 1170; 137 ACSR 575 Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions v Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (2017) 254 FCR 235 Commonwealth v Director, Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate (2015) 258 CLR 482 Direction of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v El Karhani (1990) 21 NSWLR 370 Elias v The Queen (2013) 248 CLR 483 Environment Protection Authority v Truegrain Pty Ltd (2013) 85 NSWLR 125 Green v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 462 Hili v The Queen (2010) 242 CLR 520 J McPhee & Son (Aust) Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [2000] FCA 365; 172 ALR 532 Jahandideh v R [2014] NSWCCA 178 Johnson v The Queen [2004] HCA 15; 78 ALJR 616 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357 Matthews v The Queen (2014) 44 VR 280 McMahon v The Queen [2011] NSWCCA 147 Mill v The Queen (1988) 166 CLR 59 Muldrock v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 120 Postiglione v The Queen (1997) 189 CLR 295 R v Adler [2005] NSWSC 274; 53 ACSR 471 R v Curtis (No 3) [2016] NSWSC 866; 114 ACSR 184 R v Daetz [2003] NSWCCA 216; 139 A Crim R 398 R v Geddes (1936) 36 SR (NSW) 554 R v Hannes [2000] NSWCCA 503; 36 ACSR 72 R v Hannigan [2009] 2 Qd R 331 R v Lamella [2014] NSWCCA 122 R v Li [2010] NSWCCA 125; 202 A Crim R 195 R v Pogson (2012) 82 NSWLR 60 R v Rivkin (2004) 59 NSWLR 284 R v Ronen [2006] NSWCCA 123; 161 A Crim R 300 R v Whitnall (1993) 42 FCR 512 R v Wilhelm [2010] NSWSC 378 R v Williams [2005] NSWSC 315; 216 ALR 113 R v Williscroft [1975] VR 292 Silvano v R [2008] NSWCCA 118; 184 A Crim R 593 Singtel Optus Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [2012] FCAFC 20; 287 ALR 249 Tyler v R; R v Chalmers [2007] NSWCCA 247; 173 A Crim R 458 Wong v The Queen (2001) 207 CLR 584 Xiao v R [2018] NSWCCA 4; 329 FLR 1 Zhang v R [2011] NSWCCA 233
Division:	General Division
Registry:	New South Wales
National Practice Area:	Federal Crime and Related Proceedings
Number of paragraphs:	330
Date of hearing:	18 June 2020
Counsel for the Prosecutor:	Ms S McNaughton SC with Ms G Wright and Mr R Yezerski
Solicitor for the Prosecutor:	Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions
Counsel for the Accused:	Mr S Free SC
Solicitor for the Accused:	Clayton Utz

ORDERS

		NSD 1356 of 2019
BETWEEN:	COMMONWEALTH DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS Prosecutor
AND:	WALLENIUS WILHELMSEN OCEAN AS Accused

order made by:	WIGNEY J
DATE OF ORDER:	4 february 2021

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1. Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean AS is convicted of the offence of, between about 1 June 2011 and about 31 July 2012, in Japan and elsewhere, in connection with the transport of vehicles to Australia, intentionally giving effect to cartel provisions in an arrangement or understanding reached with others in relation to the supply of ocean shipping services, knowing or believing that the arrangement or understanding contained cartel provisions contrary to s 44ZZRG(1) of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth).

2. Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean AS is fined the sum $24 million in relation to that offence.

Note: Entry of orders is dealt with in Rule 39.32 of the Federal Court Rules 2011.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

WIGNEY J:

1. Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean AS (WWO) is a large Norwegian company which supplies global shipping services, including the shipment of motor vehicles, trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles on routes to Australia. It ostensibly competed with other large global shipping companies who also supplied shipping services in that market. From at least July 2009, however, WWO (then known as Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics AS) and a number of other global shipping companies gave effect to provisions in an arrangement or understanding which had the effect of limiting or distorting that competition. That arrangement or understanding only came to an end in September 2012...