Kelly v Commonwealth of Australia as represented by Services Australia (formerly the Department of Human Services)

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Court: Federal Court
• Judgment Date: 08 February 2023
• Neutral Citation: [2023] FCA 69
• Date: 08 February 2023

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Kelly v Commonwealth of Australia as represented by Services Australia (formerly the Department of Human Services) [2023] FCA 69

File number(s):	NSD 1487 of 2019
Judgment of:	FARRELL J
Date of judgment:	8 February 2023
Catchwords:	PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – interlocutory application for orders striking out parts of pleadings pursuant to rule 16.21(1)(e) and/or (d) of the Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) or for summary judgment under s 31A of the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) and for the question of liability to be heard separately from the question of damages pursuant to rule 30.01(1) of the Federal Court Rules 2011 – interlocutory application dismissed ; HUMAN RIGHTS – discrimination – where applicant claims declarations, general and aggravated damages and a civil penalty for contraventions of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth), the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth), the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and relevant enterprise agreement (EA) – where the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) terminated complaint – where applicant was a Commonwealth employee – whether a student on placement as part of mandatory practical experience towards a Bachelor of Social Work degree was an employee or agent of the Commonwealth – whether the jurisdiction conferred by s 46PO of the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth) constrains the availability of aggravated damages to conduct the subject of the complaint to the AHRC or in the manner of conduct of proceedings relating to the complaint – whether EA was contravened – whether damages or a civil penalty can be awarded for non-economic loss occasioned by breach of the EA
Legislation:	Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth) ss 3, 46PO Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) ss 4, 14, 15, 122, 123 Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) ss 22, 50, 90, 117, 545, 546 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) ss 31A, 37M Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) rr 16.21(1), 30.01(1) Public Service Act 1999 (Cth) ss 20, 29 Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) s 4, 14, 105, 106 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) s 84 Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW)
Cases cited:	ACE Insurance Ltd v Trifunovski [2011] FCA 1204; (2011) 200 FCR 532 Alexander v Home Office [1988] 2 All ER 118 Allders International Pty Ltd v Anstee (1986) 5 NSWLR 47 Allstate Life Insurance Co v Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd [1994] FCA 636; (1994) 217 ALR 226 Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association v International Aviation Service Assistance Pty Ltd [2011] FCA 333; (2011) 193 FCR 526 Automatic Fire Sprinklers Pty Ltd v Watson [1946] HCA 25; (1946) 72 CLR 435 Bauer Media Pty Ltd v Wilson (No 2) [2018] VSCA 154; (2018) 56 VR 674 Bennett v Everitt [1988] EOC 92-244 British Telecommunications Plc v Reid [2004] IRLR 327 C v Commonwealth of Australia [2015] FCAFC 113; 234 FCR 81 Clarke v Elite Systems Australia Pty Ltd (No 2) [2018] FCCA 2864 Clarke v Nationwide News Pty Ltd t/as The Sunday Times [2012] FCA 307; (2012) 201 FCR 389 Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v Shaw [2012] ICR 464 Commissioner of Police v Estate of Russell [2002] NSWCA 272; (2002) 55 NSWLR 232 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Barker [2014] HCA 32; (2014) 253 CLR 169 Construction Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union v Personnel Contracting Pty Ltd [2022] HCA 1, (2022) 96 ALJR 89 Cossich v G Rossetto and Co Pty Ltd (T/as) Sky Cellars [2001] SAIRC 37 Davey v Bentinck [1893] 1 QB 185 Duffy v Eastern Health & Social Services Board [1992] IRLR 251 Dye v Commonwealth Securities Limited [2010] FCA 720 EA v Diaconu [2020] NSWCA 127; (2020) 102 NSWLR 351 Elliot v Nanda [2001] FCA 418; (2001) 111 FCR 240 Fair Work Ombudsman v Crocmedia Pty Ltd [2015] FCCA 140 Hall v A & A Sheiban Pty Ltd [1989] FCA 65; (1989) 85 ALR 503 Hodson v Pare [1899] 1 QB 455 Hollis v Vabu Pty Limited [2001] HCA 44; (2001) 207 CLR 21 Hope v Bathurst City Council [1980] HCA 16; (1980) 144 CLR 1 Huntlee Pty Ltd v Sweetwater Action Group Inc [2011] NSWCA 378 IW v City of Perth [1997] HCA 30; (1997) 191 CLR 1 Jake Johansen v J H Lever & Associates Pty Ltd [2019] FWC 2766 John Holland Pty Ltd v Maritime Union [2009] FCA 437 Kura Yerlo Council Inc (Fair Workers Compensation)(SA) Pty Ltd v Gerald Clements Leonard [1998] SAWCAT 12 Lee Ting Sang v Chung Chi-Keung [1990] UKPC 9; (1990) 2 AC 374 Lisciandro v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy [1995] FCA 716; (1995) ATPR 41-436 Market Investigations v Minister of Social Security [1969] 2 QB 173 Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations v Gribbles Radiology Pty Ltd [2005] HCA 9; (2005) 222 CLR 194 Montreal v Montreal Locomotive Works Ltd [1946] UKPC 44; [1947] 1 DLR 161 Mulligan v Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd [2015] FCAFC 130; (2015) 234 FCR 207 On Call Interpreters & Translators Agency Pty Ltd v Federal Commissioner for Taxation (No 3) [2011] FCA 366; (2011) 214 FCR 82 Pancontinental Mining Ltd v Posgold Investments Pty Ltd [1994] FCA 131; (1994) 121 ALR 405 Polar Aviation Pty Ltd v Civil Aviation Safety Authority (No 4) [2011] FCA 1126; (2011) 203 FCR 293 Polar Aviation Pty Ltd v Civil Aviation Safety Authority [2012] FCAFC 97; (2012) 203 FCR 325 Prison Service v Johnson [1997] ICR 275 Project Blue Sky v Australian Broadcasting Authority [1988] HCA 28; (1988) 194 CLR 355 Pruessner v Caeli Constructions Pty Ltd [2022] FedCFamC2G 206 Radisch v McDonald [2010] FCA 762; (2010) 198 IR 244 Rauland Australia Pty Ltd v Johnson (No 1) [2019] FCA 1174 Ready Mixed Concrete (South East) Ltd v Minister of Pensions and National Insurance [1968] 2 QB 497 Roy Morgan Research Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation [2010] FCAFC 52; (2010) 184 FCR 448 Ryan v Commissioner of Police, NSW Police Force [2022] FCAFC 36; (2022) 290 FCR 369 Shelton v National Roads and Motorists Association Ltd [2004] FCA 1393; (2004) 51 ACSR 278 Spencer v The Commonwealth [2010] HCA 28; (2010) 241 CLR 118 Spiteri v Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd [2008] FCA 905 State of Queensland v Pioneer Concrete (Qld) Pty Ltd [1999] FCA 499 Sutcliffe v Pressdram Ltd [1991] 1 QB 153 Triggell v Pheeney [1951] HCA 23; (1951) 82 CLR 497 Walter v Alltools Ltd (1944) 171 LT 371 Wenlock v Moloney [1965] 1 WLR 1238 Wickstead v Browne [1992] 30 NSWCA 272; (1992) 30 NSWLR 1 Williams & Humbert v W & H Trade Marks [1986] AC 368 Wotton v State of Queensland (No 5) [2016] FCA 1457; (2016) 157 ALD 14 Yaraka Holdings Holdings Pty Limited v Ante Giljevic [2006] ACTCA 6; (2006) 149 IR 339 ZG Operations Australia Pty Ltd v Jamsek [2022] HCA 2; (2022) 96 ALJR 144
Division:	General Division
Registry:	New South Wales

...