Minister for the Environment v Sharma

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Judgment Date: 15 March 2022
• Neutral Citation: [2022] FCAFC 35
• Date: 15 March 2022
• Court: Full Federal Court (Australia)

Federal Court of Australia

Minister for the Environment v Sharma [2022] FCAFC 35

Appeal from:	Sharma by her litigation representative Sister Marie Brigid Arthur v Minister for the Environment (No 2) [2021] FCA 774
File number:	VID 389 of 2021
Judgment of:	ALLSOP CJ, BEACH AND WHEELAHAN JJ
Date of judgment:	15 March 2022
Catchwords:	NEGLIGENCE – representative proceeding on behalf of Australian children under 18 against the Minister for the Environment – threat of global warming and climate change to the world and mankind – novel duty of care – declaration that Minister owed Children duty of care when exercising power under ss 130 and 133 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act) to approve or not approve extension of a coal mine to take reasonable care to avoid causing personal injury or death arising from emissions of carbon dioxide and subsequent global warming – declaration of duty disaggregated from breach and damage – nature of and correct approach to salient features analysis – whether sufficient relationship of neighbourhood between Minister and Children under the EPBC Act – duty of care analysis must begin with relevant statute – purpose and scope of EPBC Act and nature of statutory power in context of the inter-governmental arrangements for protection of environment in Australia – whether duty of care throws up for consideration at breach matters unsuitable for judicial determination – whether duty concerns matters of “core policy” – operational/policy distinction – nature of coherence within the law of negligence –whether duty is incoherent with the Minister’s statutory discretion under the EPBC Act – whether relevant harm reasonably foreseeable – nature of relationship between reasonable foreseeability and causation – consideration of law of causation in Australia – whether sufficient closeness and directness between Minister’s statutory power and the likely risk of harm to respondents and members of class – consideration of Minister’s control, responsibility and knowledge in relation to foreseeable harm – extent of children’s legal vulnerability to feared harm from exercise of Minister’s statutory power – parens patrie jurisdiction – whether potential liability indeterminate ; NEGLIGENCE – challenge to five findings of fact by primary judge concerning catastrophic risks of global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions – where findings based on unchallenged expert evidence led on a final basis – where Minister made forensic decision not to cross-examine expert or lead responsive evidence – factual findings open on unchallenged evidence ; STATUTORY INTERPRETATION – whether human safety is an implied relevant mandatory consideration for exercise of power under ss 130 and 133 of the EPBC Act – mandatory consideration not supported by text, context or purpose of EPBC Act
Legislation:	Constitution Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 (Cth) Australian National Registry of Emissions Units Act 2011 (Cth) Australian Renewable Energy Agency Act 2011 (Cth) Clean Energy Act 2011 (Cth) (repealed) Clean Energy Finance Corporation Act 2012 (Cth) Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Tax Repeal) Act 2014 (Cth) Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012 (Cth) Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 (Cth) Product Emissions Standards Act 2017 (Cth) Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) ; Civil Law (Wrongs) Act 2002 (ACT) Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Crown Proceedings Act 1988 (NSW) Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Regulations 2021 (Cth) State Environmental Planning Policy (Mining, Petroleum Production and Extractive Industries) 2007 (NSW) State Environmental Planning Policy (State and Regional Development 2011 (NSW) ; Explanatory Memorandum, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Bill 1998 ; Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, opened for signature 16 March 1998, 2303 UNTS 162 (entered into force 16 February 2005) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement 2015 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, opened for signature 4 June 1992, 1771 UNTS 107 (entered into force 21 March 1994)
Cases cited:	Adelaide Stevedoring Co Ltd v Forst [1940] HCA 45; 64 CLR 538 Agar v Hyde [2000] HCA 41; 201 CLR 552 Aiken v Municipality of Kingborough [1939] HCA 20; 62 CLR 179 Alcan Gove Pty Ltd v Zabic [2015] HCA 33; 257 CLR 1 Alchin v Commissioner for Railways (1935) 35 SR (NSW) 498 Alec Finlayson Pty Ltd v Armidale City Council (1994) 51 FCR 378 Amaca Pty Ltd v Booth [2011] HCA 53; 246 CLR 36 Amaca Pty Ltd v Ellis [2010] HCA 55; 240 CLR 111 Anns v Merton London Borough Council [1978] AC 728 Apotex Pty Ltd v Sanofi-Aventis Australia Pty Ltd [2013] HCA 50; 253 CLR 284 Australian Conservation Foundation Inc v Minister for the Environment and Energy [2017] FCAFC 134; 251 FCR 359 Baker v Carr (1962) 369 US 186 Barisic v Devenport [1978] 2 NSWLR 111 Barker v Corus UK Ltd [2006] 2 AC 572 Bass v Permanent Trustee Co Ltd [1999] HCA 9; 198 CLR 334 Bendigo and Country Districts Trustees and Executors Co Ltd v Sandhurst and Northern District Trustees and Executors and Agency Co Ltd [1909] HCA 63; 9 CLR 474 Bendix Mintex Pty Ltd v Barnes (1997) 42 NSWLR 307 Bennett v Minister for Community Welfare [1992] HCA 27; 176 CLR 408 Bennett v The Commonwealth [2007] HCA 18; 231 CLR 91 Betts v Whittingslowe [1945] HCA 31; 71 CLR 637 Bienke v Minister for Primary Industries and Energy (1996) 63 FCR 567 Boensch v Pascoe [2019] HCA 49; 268 CLR 593 Bonnington Castings Ltd v Wardlaw [1956] AC 613 Breen v Williams [1996] HCA 57; 186 CLR 71 British Celanese Ltd v A H Hunt (Capacitors) Ltd [1969] 1 WLR 959 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council [2001] HCA 29; 206 CLR 512 Brooks v Burns Philp Trustee Co Ltd [1969] HCA 4; 121 CLR 432 Burnie Port Authority v General Jones Pty Ltd [1994] HCA 13; 179 CLR 520 Bushell v Repatriation Commission [1992] HCA 47; 175 CLR 408 Caledonian Collieries Ltd v Speirs [1957] HCA 14; 97 CLR 202 Caltex Oil (Australia) Pty Ltd v The Dredge “Willemstad” [1976] HCA 65; 136 CLR 529 Caltex Refineries (Qld) Pty Ltd v Stavar [2009] NSWCA 258; 75 NSWLR 649 Cardile v LED Builders Pty Ltd [1999] HCA 18; 198 CLR 380 Carnie v Esanda Finance Corporation [1995] HCA 9; 182 CLR 398 Cattanach v Melchior [2003] HCA 38; 215 CLR 1 Chapman v Hearse [1961] HCA 46; 106 CLR 112 Chappel v Hart [1998] HCA 55; 195 CLR 232 Cole v South Tweed Heads Rugby League Football Club Ltd [2004] HCA 29; 217 CLR 469 Crane v City of New York 65 NY 2d 859 (1985) Crimmins v Stevedoring Industry Finance Committee [1999] HCA 59; 200 CLR 1 ...