Hastwell v Kott Gunning

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Judgment Date: 13 May 2021
• Neutral Citation: [2021] FCAFC 70
• Date: 13 May 2021
• Court: Full Federal Court (Australia)

Federal Court of Australia

Hastwell v Kott Gunning [2021] FCAFC 70

Appeal from:	Application for leave to appeal: Hastwell v Kott Gunning (No 5) [2020] FCA 621
File number:	WAD 126 of 2020
Judgment of:	MCKERRACHER, KERR AND CHARLESWORTH JJ
Date of judgment:	13 May 2021
Catchwords:	HUMAN RIGHTS – claim of sexual discrimination and disability discrimination by employer – where applicant claims loss and damage caused by exacerbation of anxiety and depression – where applicant refuses to undergo a psychiatric examination to allow the respondent to adduce expert evidence – where primary judge ordered a permanent stay of proceedings consequent upon the applicant’s refusal – whether the order for a permanent stay was a just determination of the proceedings ; HUMAN RIGHTS – appeal from orders for a permanent stay of proceedings – whether orders are interlocutory in nature – whether leave to appeal is required pursuant to s 24(1A) of the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) – whether a permanent stay consequent upon a refusal to be medically examined is an interlocutory judgment that affects the liberty of an individual – consideration of the principles in Talacko v Talacko (2010) 183 FCR 297 ; EVIDENCE – admission into evidence of extracts of a psychiatric report contained in a pleading filed in separate proceedings brought by the applicant in a different court – where the respondent obtained the pleading by making an access request to the other court – where the respondent adduced extracts of the psychiatric report to demonstrate a proper basis for seeking its own medical examination of the applicant by its nominated expert – whether the primary judge misconstrued various provisions of the Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) in allowing the extracts to be adduced for this limited purpose only
Legislation:	Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth) ss 46PO Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) ss 75, 76(1), 79, 81, 108C, 108C(1)(a), 135, 136, 138, 192 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) ss 23, 24, 24(1C)(a), 24(1D), 25, 27, 37M(1) Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (Cth) ss 328, 329 National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth) ss 26, 26(3) Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (Cth) ss 57, 57(2) Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1992 (Cth) ss 66, 66(2) Veterans’ Entitlement Act 1986 (Cth) Health Practitioner Regulation National Law 2009 (NSW) ss 145E, 152B, 152B(4), 152C, 152C(4) Motor Vehicle (Third Party Insurance) Act 1943 (WA) ss 30, 35 Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981 (WA), ss 64, 65, 66 and 72A
Cases cited:	Allstate Life Insurance Co v Australia & New Zealand Armacel Pty Ltd v Smurfit Stone Container Corp [2008] FCA 592 Ashby v Commonwealth (No 3) (2012) 206 FCR 444; [2012] FCA 788 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Reckitt Benckiser (Australia) Pty Ltd [2016] FCAFC 181 Banking Group Ltd (No 3) (1996) 64 FCR 55; [1996] FCA 518 Bienstein v Bienstein [2003] HCA 7 Bray v F Hoffman-La Roche Ltd (2002) 118 FCR 1; [2000] FCA 243 Brookfield v Davey Products Pty Ltd [2001] FCA 104 Brouwer v Titan Corporation Ltd (1997) 73 FCR 241; [1997] FCA 1077 Campbell v Biernacki (2009) 19 Tas R 345; [2009] TASSC 117 Re CSR Ltd (2010) 183 FCR 358; [2002] FCAFC 34 Decor Corp Pty Ltd v Dart Industries Inc (1991) 33 FCR 397; [1991] FCA 844 De Gelder v Rodger [2014] NSWSC 872 Donnelly v Shallard (1936) 53 WN (NSW) 121 Dupas v The Queen (2012) 218 A Crim R 507; [2012] VSCA 328 Emery v Hobson (1944) 61 WN (NSW) 136 FAI Home Security Pty Ltd v Price [1999] VSC 274 Field v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1957) 99 CLR 285 Furesh (as administrator of Intestate Estate of Slipcevich) v Schor (2013) 45 WAR 546; [2013] WASCA 231 Hall v Nominal Defendant (1966) 117 CLR 423; [1966] HCA 36 Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd v Lovell (1998) 19 WAR 316 Hastwell v Kott Gunning (No 3) [2019] FCA 1641 Hastwell v Kott Gunning (No 4) [2019] FCA 1805 Hastwell v Health Care Complaints Commissioner (NSW) [2020] NSWSC 728 Hastwell v Health Care Complaints Commission (NSW) [2021] NSWCA 22 Hearne v Street (2008) 235 CLR 125; [2008] HCA 36 Home Office v Harman [1983] AC 280 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Johnson Tiles Pty v Esso Australia Pty Ltd (2000) 104 FCR 564; [2000] FCA 1572 Macedonian Orthodox Community Church St Petka Inc v His Eminence Petar The Diocesan Bishop of The Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (2008) 237 CLR 66; [2008] HCA 42 Makita (Aust) Pty Ltd v Sprowles (2001) 52 NSWLR 705; [2001] NSWCA 305 Minister for Aboriginal Affairs v Peko-Wallsend Ltd (1986) 162 CLR 24; [1986] HCA 40 Malouf v Malouf (1999) 86 FCR 134; [1999] FCA 284 New South Wales v Bowdidge (No 2) [2020] NSWSC 159 NAJT v Minister for Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs (2005) 147 FCR 51; [2005] FCAFC 134 Peng Gao v Fair Work Ombudsman [2013] FCA 754 Prescott v Bulldog Tools Ltd [1981] 3 All ER 869 Purkess v Crittenden (1965) 114 CLR 164; [1965] HCA 34 R (Y) v Croydon London Borough Council [2016] 1 WLR 2895 Rozenblit v Vainer (2018) 262 CLR 478; [2018] HCA 23 Sami v Commonwealth [2018] FCA 1991 Samsung Electronics Co Ltd v Apple Inc (2011) 217 FCR 238; [2011] FCAFC 156 Sharp v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (Cth) (1988) 19 ATR 908; [1988] FCA 76 Simpson v Midalco Pty Ltd, (unreported, Full Court of the Supreme Court, WA, 7 December 1988) SZSNN v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2013) 217 FCR 171; [2013] FCA 1218 SZSSJ v Minister for Home Affairs [2019] FCA 1149 SZSXM v Minister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship [2013] FCA 1251 Talacko v Talacko (2010) 183 FCR 297; [2010] FCA 239 Tyne v UBS AG (2016) 338 ALR 624; [2016] FCA 241 Ungar v Attorney-General for New South Wales [2019] NSWCA 86 VUAX v Minister for Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs (2004) 238 FCR 588; [2004] FCAFC 158 Waters v Public Transport Corp (1992) 173 CLR 349; [1991] HCA 49 Watts v Rake (1960) 108 CLR 158; [1960] HCA 58 Wotton v Queensland (No 4) [2015] FCA 1075
Division:	General Division
Registry:	Western Australia
National Practice Area:	Administrative and Constitutional Law and Human Rights
Number of paragraphs:	145
Date of hearing:	2 November 2020
Counsel for the Applicant:	The Applicant appeared in person
Counsel for the Respondent:	Mr JB Blackburn SC
Solicitor for the Respondent:	HLS Legal

ORDERS

		WAD 126 of 2020
BETWEEN:	HAYDYN GARY HASTWELL Applicant
AND:	KOTT GUNNING Respondent

order made by:	MCKERRACHER, KERR AND CHARLESWORTH JJ
DATE OF ORDER:	13 mAY 2021

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1. The application...