The Environmental Group Ltd v Bowd

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Judge: STEWARD J
• Judgment Date: 21 June 2019
• Neutral Citation: [2019] FCA 951
• Court: Federal Court
• Date: 21 June 2019

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

The Environmental Group Ltd v Bowd [2019] FCA 951

File numbers:	VID 497 of 2017VID 580 of 2017
Judge:	STEWARD J
Date of judgment:	21 June 2019
Catchwords:	INDUSTRIAL LAW – termination of employment – where employee reported in a CEO report financial irregularities to the board – where employee made a complaint to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission alleging serious fraud within the company before completion of an audit – where employee took personal leave – where employee’s lawyers prepared a letter to the company recording grievances – whether employee exercised a workplace right – whether a “complaint” for the purposes of s 341(1)(c)(ii) of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) must be made in good faith – whether a complaint “in relation to” an employee’s employment must be directed at or concerned with that person’s employment in a substantive way – whether Pt 9.4AAA of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) is a “workplace law” – whether adverse action was taken – whether an investigation into an employee’s conduct constituted adverse action – where employee’s dismissal was purportedly a product of the breakdown of the relationship between the board and employee – whether adverse action was taken “because” of the exercise of a workplace right ; CORPORATIONS – protection for whistleblowers – whether employee had reasonable grounds to suspect contraventions of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) – whether disclosure was made in good faith – whether complaint was made for a secondary purpose ; CONTRACTS – breach of contract – whether employee breached contract by retaining company property after termination ; COPYRIGHT – acts not constituting copyright infringement – whether copying was done for the purposes of a judicial proceeding – whether the possibility of a future proceeding is sufficient for the purposes of s 43 of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth)
Legislation:	Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) s 43 Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) ss 182, 183, 292-323DA, 251A, 606, 611, 1317AA, 1317AB, 1317AC, 1317AD Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) s 135 Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) ss 12, 97, 340, 341, 342, 352, 360, 361 Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (Cth) Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) s 155 Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 (Cth) regs 51, 219 Explanatory Memorandum, Corporate Law Economic Reform Program (Audit and Corporate Disclosure) Bill 2003 (Cth)
Cases cited:	Alicia Hosiery Ltd v Brown Shipley & Co Ltd [1970] 1 QB 195 Auimatagi v Australian Building and Construction Commissioner [2018] FCAFC 191 Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association v Sunstate Airlines (Qld) Pty Ltd (2012) 208 FCR 386 Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union v Visy Packaging Pty Ltd (No 3) (2013) 216 FCR 70 Barkhazen v Conair Australia Pty Ltd [2016] FWC 6520 Board of Bendigo Regional Institute of Technical and Further Education v Barclay (2012) 248 CLR 500 Bropho v Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (2004) 135 FCR 105 Cigarette & Gift Warehouse Pty Ltd v Whelan [2019] FCAFC 16 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v BHP Coal Pty Ltd (2014) 253 CLR 243 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v De Martin & Gasparini Pty Ltd (No 2) [2017] FCA 1046 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v Endeavour Coal Pty Ltd (2015) 231 FCR 150 Commissioner of Taxation v Scully (2000) 201 CLR 148 Community and Public Sector Union v Telstra Corporation Ltd (2001) 107 FCR 93 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Whitfords Beach Pty Ltd (1982) 150 CLR 355 General and Finance Facilities Ltd v Cooks Cars (Romford) Ltd [1963] 2 All ER 314 George v Rockett (1990) 170 CLR 104 Healing (Sales) Pty Ltd v Inglis Electrix Pty Ltd (1968) 121 CLR 584 Hill v Compass Ten Pty Ltd (2012) 205 FCR 94 Isles v Daily Mail Newspaper Ltd (1912) 14 CLR 193 Jones v Dowle (1841) 9 M & W 19 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Jones v Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre Ltd (No 2) (2010) 186 FCR 22 Kordan Pty Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation [2000] FCA 1807; (2000) 46 ATR 191 Leica Geosystems Pty Ltd v Koudstaal (No 3) [2014] FCA 1129; (2014) 245 IR 422 Milardovic v Vemco Services Pty Ltd (Administrators Appointed) [2016] FCA 19 Morley v Monza Imports Australia Pty Ltd [2018] FCCA 622 Murrihy v Betezy.com.au Pty Ltd [2013] FCA 908; (2013) 238 IR 307 MZABV v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2017] FCA 105 Ogawa v Spender (2006) 151 FCR 228 Patrick Stevedores Operations No 2 Pty Ltd v Maritime Union of Australia (1998) 195 CLR 1 Police Federation of Australia v Nixon (2008) 168 FCR 340 Pyneboard Pty Ltd v Trade Practices Commission (1982) 57 FLR 368 Shea v EnergyAustralia Services Pty Ltd [2014] FCAFC 167; (2014) 242 IR 159 Shea v TRUenergy Services Pty Ltd (No 6) [2014] FCA 271; (2014) 242 IR 1 Strand Electric and Engineering Co Ltd v Brisford Entertainments Ltd [1952] 2 QB 246 Tattsbet Ltd v Morrow (2015) 233 FCR 46 Technical Products Pty Ltd v State Government Insurance Office (1989) 167 CLR 45 Walsh v Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (No 2) [2014] FCA 456; (2014) 243 IR 468
Date of hearing:	22-26 October 2018, 6 February 2019
Registry:	Victoria
Division:	General Division
National Practice Area:	Commercial and Corporations
Sub-area:	Commercial Contracts, Banking, Finance and Insurance
Category:	Catchwords
Number of paragraphs:	197
Counsel for the Applicants in VID497/2017 and the Respondents in VID580/2017:	Mr D Christie with Mr B Avallone
Solicitor for the Applicants in VID497/2017 and the Respondents in VID580/2017:	Baker Jones
Counsel for the Respondent in VID497/2017 and the Applicant in VID580/2017:	Mr R A Millar
Solicitor for the Respondent in VID497/2017 and the Applicant in VID580/2017:	McDonald Murholme

ORDERS

		VID 497 of 2017
BETWEEN:	THE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP LTD (ACN 000 013 427) First Applicant ; BALTEC IES PTY LTD (ACN 124 484 108) Second Applicant ; TOTAL AIR POLLUTION CONTROL PTY LTD (ACN 097 531 416) Third Applicant
AND:	PETER JOHN BOWD Respondent

AND

		VID 580 of 2017
BETWEEN:	PETER BOWD Applicant
AND:	THE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP LTD (ACN 000 013 427) ...