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Sweedman V Transport Accident Commission: State Residence Discrimination and the High Court’s Retreat into Characterisation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 January 2025

Amelia Simpson
Amelia Simpson*
Affiliation:
ANU College of Law
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Extract

This Comment considers the High Court's recent decision in Sweedman v Transport Accident Commission. The issue dealt with at greatest length in the judgments was the suggested conflict between New South Wales and Victorian enactments and the related suggestion that constitutional principles would enliven to resolve this conflict. A second issue, the potential application of the s 117 prohibition on State residence discrimination, attracted less detailed treatment. Nevertheless, the Court's resolution of this second issue is significant in its apparent departure from the approach taken in the landmark case of Street v Queensland Bar Association. While this Comment will explain the Court's reasoning on both issues, analysis of the decision will focus on the s 117 issue.

Type
Research Article
Information
Federal Law Review , Volume 34 , Issue 2 , June 2006 , pp. 363 - 376
Copyright
Copyright © 2006 The Australian National University

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References

1 (2006) 224 ALR 625 (‘Sweedman’).

2 (1989) 168 CLR 461 (‘Street’).

3 Transport Accident Act 1986 (Vic) s 35.

4 Transport Accident Act 1986 (Vic) s 27.

5 Transport Accident Act 1986 (Vic) s 104(1) provides:

If an injury arising out of a transport accident in respect of which the Commission has made payments under this Act arose under circumstances which, regardless of section 93, would have created a legal liability in a person (other than a person who is entitled to be indemnified under section 94) to pay damages in respect of pecuniary loss suffered by reason of the injury, the Commission is entitled to be indemnified by the first-mentioned person for such proportion of the amount of the liability of the Commission to make payments under this Act in respect of the injury as is appropriate to the degree to which the injury was attributable to the act, default or negligence of the first-mentioned person.

6 The reference was made in the form of a special case pursuant to the County Court Act 1958 (Vic) s 76(1).

7 Transport Accident Commission v Sweedman (2004) 10 VR 31, 36 (Callaway JA), 41–2 (Nettle JA). Winneke P agreed with Nettle JA’s reasons: at 34.

8 Ibid 41 (per Nettle JA).

9 Ibid 54–5 (Nettle JA).

10 Ibid 39 (Callaway JA), 63 (Nettle JA).

11 The statutory construction aspect of the extraterritoriality claim – that is, the argument that the Victorian Parliament did not intend for the Victorian Act to have an operation beyond the State’s borders – was downplayed in argument before the High Court. The majority joint judgment disposed of the issue speedily, in the respondent’s favour: (2006) 224 ALR 625, 626 [2].

12 See the summary provided by Callinan J: ibid 642 [77].

13 Ibid 629 [18].

14 Ibid 629–30 [19].

15 Ibid.

16 Ibid 630 [20]–[21], citing the joint reasons in John Pfeiffer Pty Ltd v Rogerson (2000) 203 CLR 503, 518 [15].

17 Ibid 631 [23]–[24].

18 Ibid 631–2 [27]–[29], citing Transport Accident Commission v Sweedman (2004) 10 VR 31, 41 (Nettle JA)

19 Ibid 632 [29]–[30].

20 Ibid 633 [33].

21 Ibid 633–4 [34].

22 Ibid 634 [35].

23 Ibid 634 [36], 636 [48].

24 Ibid 634 [38], 636 [45].

25 Ibid.

26 Ibid.

27 Ibid 635 [39]–[40].

28 Ibid 637 [51].

29 Ibid 637 [52].

30 Ibid 660–1 [145], 661 [147], 662–3 [151].

31 Ibid 661–3 [150]–[151].

32 Ibid 664 [153]–[154].

33 Ibid 639 [68], 645 [94]. See also Callinan J’s emphasis on State sovereignty in, eg: Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd v Victoria (2002) 211 CLR 1, 75 [177], 77 [181], 81–2 [187]; Purvis v New South Wales (2003) 217 CLR 92, 172–3 [266], 174–5 [271]; Bayside City Council v Telstra Corporation Limited (2004) 216 CLR 595, 653–4 [119], 656–7 [126], 664 [149].

34 Ibid 648–9 [102]–[103].

35 Ibid 650 [106].

36 Ibid 644 [86].

37 Ibid 646 [96].

38 Ibid 658 [132].

39 Ibid 654 [120].

40 Ibid 655 [122]–[123].

41 Ibid 648 [100].

42 Ibid 638 [59].

43 Ibid.

44 Ibid 638–9 [60].

45 Ibid 638–9 [60], 639 [64], citing the Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations 1988 (Vic) reg 203.

46 Ibid 639 [62].

47 Ibid 639 [64]–[65].

48 Ibid 639 [66].

49 Ibid 658 [136].

50 Ibid 664 [156].

51 Lipohar v The Queen (1999) 200 CLR 485; John Pfeiffer Pty Ltd v Rogerson (2000) 203 CLR 503; Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd v Victoria (2002) 211 CLR 1; Blunden v Commonwealth (2003) 218 CLR 330; James, Stellios, ‘Choice of Law and the Australian Constitution: Locating the Debate’ (2005) 33 Federal Law Review 7Google Scholar; Graeme, Hill, ‘Resolving a True Conflict Between State Laws: a Minimalist Approach’ (2005) 29 Melbourne University Law Review 39Google Scholar; Graeme, Hill and Adrienne, Stone, ‘The Constitutionalisation of the Common Law’ (2004) 25 Adelaide Law Review 67Google Scholar; Stephen, Gageler, ‘Private Intra-national Law: Choice or Conflict, Common Law or Constitution?’ (2003) 23 Australian Bar Review 184Google Scholar; Jeremy, Kirk, ‘Conflicts and Choice of Law within the Australian Constitutional Context’ (2003) 31 Federal Law Review 247Google Scholar; Bradley, Selway, ‘The Australian “Single Law Area“’ (2003) 29 Monash University Law Review 30Google Scholar.

52 (1994) 179 CLR 463 (‘Goryl’).

53 (1989) 168 CLR 461.

54 See, eg, Murray, Gleeson, The Rule of Law and the Constitution (2000) 85, 97–99Google Scholar; Leslie, Zines, ‘Legalism, Realism and Judicial Rhetoric in Constitutional Law’ (2002) 5 Constitutional Law and Policy Review 21Google Scholar; Haig, Patapan, ‘High Court Review 2001: Politics, Legalism and the Gleeson Court’ (2002) 37 Australian Journal of Political Science 241, 241–2Google Scholar.

55 (1989) 168 CLR 461.

56 (1994) 179 CLR 463, 481–3 (Dawson & Toohey JJ). The discriminatory nature of the impugned Queensland statutory provision – Motor Vehicles Insurance Act 1936 (Qld) s 20 — was reflected in the provision’s terms, capping the damages that could be awarded to out-of-State residents, but not Queensland residents, litigating in Queensland courts.

57 (2006) 224 ALR 625, 638–9 [60], 639 [64].

58 (1989) 168 CLR 461, 489 (Mason CJ), 509–11 (Brennan J), 525–8 (Deane J), 563 (Toohey J).

59 Ibid 489.

60 Ibid 509–11.

61 (2004) 10 VR 31, 55–6 [79].

62 Ibid 57 [81].

63 Ibid.

64 (1989) 168 CLR 461, 492–3 (Mason CJ), 512-4 (Brennan J), 548 (Dawson J), 599–60 (Toohey J), 583–4 (McHugh J).

65 Ibid 528–9 (Deane J), 571–3 (Gaudron J).

66 (1994) 179 CLR 463, 485.

67 (2006) 224 ALR 625, 639 [62].

68 Ibid [66].

69 Permanent Trustee Australia Ltd v Commissioner of State Revenue (2004) 220 CLR 388, 423–5 (Gleeson CJ, Gummow, Hayne, Callinan and Heydon JJ).

70 (2004) 10 VR 31, 57–63 [83]–[101].

71 Different balancing modalities seem to dominate in different contexts — eg, s 92 analysis seems to have reflected a two-stage defeasibility model, while a holistic approach has been taken in relation to s 99. I discuss these differences in a forthcoming piece, ‘The High Court’s Constitutional Conception of Discrimination: Origins, Applications and Implications’.

72 (2006) 224 ALR 625, 638 [59].

73 Ibid 645–6 [95].

74 Nettle JA accepted this to be the real s 117 question: (2004) 10 VR 31, 62.

75 (1989) 168 CLR 461, 485 (Mason CJ), 512 (Brennan J), 522 (Deane J), 548 (Dawson J), 559 (Toohey J), 570 (Gaudron J), 583–4 (McHugh J).

76 See, eg, Re Wakim; Ex parte McNally (1999) 198 CLR 511; Fardon v A-G (Qld) (2004) 210 ALR 50; Permanent Trustee Australia Ltd v Commissioner for State Revenue (2004) 220 CLR 388; Re Woolley; Ex parte Applicants M276/2003 (by their next friend GS) (2004) 210 ALR 369; Combet v Commonwealth (2005) 221 ALR 621.