Recent Cases

Tredders Investments Pty Ltd as trustee for Warren Tredrea Trust v Channel 9 South Australia Pty Ltd [2024] FCAFC 164 (11 December 2024) (Perry, McEvoy and McDonald JJ)


Catchwords:


CONTRACTS – appeal from dismissal of application for damages for breach or repudiation of contract – where respondent issued direction to all employees and contractors to provide evidence of COVID-19 vaccination status or valid medical exemptions – where second appellant did not comply with direction and respondent terminated Services Agreement – whether appellants disobeyed lawful direction given by respondent – whether directions given lawful – whether directions given reasonable

PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – where new grounds raised on appeal – where no issue taken with pleading before primary judge – whether adequate explanation provided for failure to raise new grounds before primary judge – whether proposed grounds have sufficient merit – whether grounds of appeal raise new or additional findings of fact

COSTS – where primary judge held that s 17 of the Independent Contractors Act 2006 (Cth) required that there be no order as to costs – whether rejection of offers to settle the proceeding constituted an unreasonable act or omission – whether the question of whether s 17(2) of the Independent Contractors Act 2006 (Cth) is engaged is capable of only one uniquely right or legally permissible answer