Justitia Update 18 March 2015 This Justitia Update outlines recent important decisions affecting the employment and industrial relations landscape. Impact of Plaintiff delay at VCAT If a long delay occurs between a dismissal which is alleged to be unfair and a plaintiff’s application for reinstatement or compensation, will the application be struck out? This depends on the jurisdiction where the application to strike out a claim is brought, and a number of factors outlined recently by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal’s (‘VCAT’) Senior Member Ian Proctor in the case of Kramersh v IPD Education Limited. The case suggests that although VCAT can order summary dismissal on the ground of delay, employers can never assume this will happen, especially where it is difficult to show significant prejudice to the employer resulting from the delay. Mr Kramersh was an employee of IPD Education Limited. He took leave in November 2011 due to work-related stress in the context of alleged bullying and harassment. Six months later he embarked on a workers’ compensation claim, which was rejected another two months later. Mr Kramersh disputed the rejection, and the claim was subsequently resolved in 2014 by agreement between the parties. Mr Kramersh’s lawyer was represented in those proceedings. On 14 August 2012, after the initial rejection of Mr Kramersh’s WorkCover claim, IPD wrote to him asking whether he intended to return to work, and if so, requesting a medical certificate stating he was capable of performing his usual duties. IPD indicated that in the absence of a response, IPD would assume he did not intend to return to work, and Mr Kramersh’s employment would be terminated. On 22 August 2012, Mr Kramersh emailed IPD stating he intended to return to work when well enough to do so, and offering to continue to send the company WorkCover certificates of capacity. IPD responded by email indicating that it and their insurer did not believe Mr Kramersh was suffering any injury compensable under WorkCover, and that Mr Kramersh’s employment would be terminated if he did not respond to its earlier letter. Mr Kramersh replied to this email on the same day, stating that he was unable to name the date he could return to work due to his medical condition. He said his ‘firm preference’ was for his employment to be maintained until he could return. He also indicated that he assumed that if his employment was terminated, he would be paid four weeks in lieu of notice. On 3 September 2012, IPD terminated Mr Kramersh’s employment. Mr Kramersh did not initially contest this. Meanwhile, the WorkCover claim continued. This matter was settled between the parties in March 2014, some eighteen months after Mr Kramersh’s termination of employment. On 20 March, once the WorkCover claim was resolved, Mr Kramersh told IPD that since December 2012 he’d had capacity to work two days per week, and would have done so if his employment was not terminated. He stated his belief that his dismissal was unlawful due to discrimination, and sought a response by 28 March 2014. A week later, Mr Kramersh lodged a VCAT application claiming his dismissal was unlawfully discriminatory under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic), and requesting reinstatement and compensation. It did not go unnoticed that after the termination, Mr Kramersh had waited eighteen months before either raising the matter with IPD or making an application to VCAT. IPD submitted that such delay should cause VCAT to summarily dismiss the case, which would mean it would be struck out without being fully heard. The IPD pointed to two sections of the VCAT Act by which VCAT is authorised to order such summary dismissal. Firstly, it noted VCAT is entitled to order summary dismissal for want of prosecution under section 76. Secondly, it pointed to section 75(1)(b) of the VCAT Act, which entitles the tribunal to strike out applications that are an abuse of process. 2 Justitia | Lawyers & Consultants © 2015 In support of its case for summary dismissal for want of prosecution, IPD pointed to clause 18 of Schedule 1 of the VCAT Act, which entitles IPD to use section 76 to strike out claims where the alleged contravention happened more than twelve months prior to the making of the application. IPD argued this clause imposes a ‘de facto’ twelve month time limit on applications, meaning that the eighteen month delay caused by Mr Kramersh must be automatically struck out. In addition to this argument, IPD argued that the tribunal should exercise its power of summary dismissal under section 76 because of the severe prejudice the delay had caused the organisation. It was submitted that the memories of witnesses would be negatively affected by the passage of time, rendering evidence inaccurate. IPD also noted that the delay would increase its detriment should Mr Kramersh’s application be successful. Following Mr Kramersh’s dismissal, IPD had employed a new employee to take over his role. Mr Kramersh responded to this submission by arguing that due to IPD’s size and resources, it should be able to find an alternative position for him even if his previous job had been filled. IPD ultimately relied on these same arguments about prejudice to insist that the delay constituted an abuse of process and therefore justified dismissal under s 75(1)(b). It also noted that it was not responsible for the delay, and argued that to allow the application to proceed despite the delay would frustrate the public interest, which favours the swift resolution of disputes. In assessing the question of whether the delay constituted abuse of process, Senior Member Proctor affirmed the relevance of Garcia v Miles and Anor. In this case, Senior Member Mackenzie had determined the primary consideration to be ‘the interests of justice’. These can be measured, Senior Member Proctor held, by weighing the same factors identified in Garcia, namely ‘whether the delay is inordinate and unreasonable or inexcusable, any explanation for the delay and its adequacy, the nature of the proceeding, whether and to what extent the respondent was responsible for the delay, prejudice to the respondent if the proceeding were to continue, the public interest, and the effect of the delay on the quality of justice’. In balancing these considerations, Senior Member Proctor treated Mr Kramersh’s application for reinstatement separately from his 3 Justitia | Lawyers & Consultants © 2015 application for monetary compensation. The reasons for the decision were largely given without stipulating whether they applied to the application for strike out under section 75 or section 76. Senior Member Proctor granted the summary dismissal insofar as Mr Kramersh’s application for reinstatement was concerned. The eighteen month delay was deemed ‘inordinate’, especially as Mr Kramersh had not told IPD about his planned application, and IPD had arranged its affairs accordingly. On the other hand, Senior Member Proctor refused IDM’s application for dismissal of the entire proceeding, holding that the application for monetary compensation could go ahead. A key reason given for this was that ‘in the context of litigation, an 18 month delay is unfortunately not unusual’. Although Senior Member Proctor agreed that the quality of justice may be affected by delay due to witnesses’ faded memories, ‘the reality is that witnesses commonly give evidence about events some time ago’. Senior Member Proctor did not clearly explain whether weight was given to Mr Kramersh’s reasons for the delay, either in the context of the application for reinstatement or for monetary compensation. Mr Kramersh had sought to excuse his delay on the basis that it would have been too stressful for him to make the application under the Equal Opportunity Act until after his WorkCover claim was resolved. No weight was given to a letter provided by his GP confirming that he would have been mentally unable to cope with a second court case, as the letter was brief, lacked reasoning, and the GP was not present for cross-examination. It was unclear whether Mr Kramersh’s reasons were accepted by Senior Member Proctor despite this, or what role they played in the decision. It was relevant that IPD was not responsible for the delay, but this was not held to be determinative. A more essential factor, it seems, is the level of prejudice caused by the delay, which in this case was ‘not sufficient to justify dismissal of the monetary claim’. Although Senior Member Proctor recognised that there is a public interest in disputes being settled as quickly as possible, this did not change the finding that the delay in question was not material to the monetary claim. 4 Justitia | Lawyers & Consultants © 2015 Senior Member Proctor also rejected the submission that Clause 18 imposes a ‘de facto’ twelve month time limit. It was held that the clause, in combination with section 76, is intended to give VCAT discretion to order summary dismissal in cases of delay, without mandating that this occur. Kramersh v IPD Education Limited (Human Rights) [2014] VCAT 1439 (13 November 2014) Lessons for Employers If, following a dismissal, an employee has remained silent for eighteen months or longer before applying for reinstatement, VCAT may summarily dismiss the application for reinstatement on the basis that the employee’s delay has caused undue prejudice to the employer. This outcome is more likely if the employer has filled the employee’s former position in the meantime. On the other hand, delays of eighteen months or longer may not prevent an employee from being able to claim compensation at VCAT. Applications for summary dismissal will hinge on a series of factors such as the length of delay, the reasons behind it, whether the delay was caused by the employer, and the level of prejudice the employer has suffered as a result of the delay. In the case of an eighteen month delay, it may be difficult for an employer to demonstrate that the lapse in time has caused them sufficient prejudice to justify summary dismissal of a compensation claim. This is because litigation commonly involves delays of this duration. IBAC warns against corrupt recruitment In the wake of a recent IBAC forum featuring speakers from IBAC, the Victorian Ombudsman and the Victorian Public Sector Commission, we are reminded how recruitment processes can be a key locus of corruption and how human resource practitioners must be vigilant in monitoring them. 5 Justitia | Lawyers & Consultants © 2015 Addressing human resource practitioners and managers from the public service, IBAC CEO Alistair Maclean noted that in the course of IBAC’s investigations, several managers were found to have failed to conduct proper background checks on candidates in the course of recruitment. According to Mr Maclean, such poor management and supervision can contribute to misconduct and corruption. A key theme covered in the forum was how public sector employers can avoid corruption in both recruitment and other areas by building reporting cultures. IBAC’s Principal Advisor Geoff Crawford identified HR personnel as vital to this effort, and stated that measures must be taken to ensure managers can supervise effectively. This should involve developing strategies for identifying low-level fraudulent behaviour, and managing its impact. IBAC’s website provides a link to a recent research report it commissioned entitled ‘A review of integrity frameworks in Victorian public sector agencies’, November 2014. The focus on the corruption risk posed by recruitment aligns closely with messages from the Victorian Ombudsman George Brouwer, who released a report entitled ‘Conflict of Interest in the Victorian Public Sector – ongoing concerns’ in March 2014. Like the recent forum and IBAC commissioned research, that report identified recruitment as a major risk area for conflicts of interest. Lessons for Employers Ensure that your organisation has appropriate recruitment policies and procedures. These should clearly state who is responsible for managing the corruption risks that accompany recruitment. They should also explain the reporting system or complaint mechanism for bringing corruption to the attention of senior management. Ensure that senior HR personnel have received training regarding appropriate recruitment practices, including strategies for identifying and managing corruption of the recruitment process, and for protecting those who report corruption. Ensure all public sector employees have received training regarding the declaration and management of conflicts of interest. This training 6 Justitia | Lawyers & Consultants © 2015 should explain that recruitment processes affected by nepotism, favouritism, or laxity are a form of public sector corruption investigated by IBAC. Redundancy exemption bid fails The Fair Work Commission (‘the Commission’) has rejected an application from major defence contractor, Serco Sodexo Defence Services Pty Ltd (‘SSDS’), to have redundancy payments reduced to nil for a significant number of SSDS employees whose positions were made redundant. SSDS lost a number of its contracts with the Defence Department in 2014, resulting in the redundancy of many employees at various locations around Australia. SSDS claimed that it had obtained acceptable alternative employment for these employees, in most respects with the incoming contractors, and that it should therefore be exempted from making redundancy payments to these employees. An employer can apply for orders under section 120 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (‘the Fair Work Act’) to vary the amount of redundancy pay that is otherwise due to an employee. This section will apply if the employee is entitled to redundancy pay and either the employer cannot pay the amount or the employer ‘obtains other acceptable employment for the employee’. SSDS made three applications under this section for employees in each region in which it had lost its defence contracts. This decision was in respect of the New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory contracts. Separate hearings were held for the Queensland contract and the Northern Territory/Kimberly contract. The Federal Court has previously considered the test to be applied in order to determine whether an employer has obtained acceptable alternative employment for an employee, pursuant to section 120 of the Fair Work Act. The Court has held that the employer must be a ‘strong moving force towards the creation of the available opportunity’. Commissioner Roe, who heard this application, adopted the same approach. The Commissioner noted that ‘[t]here must be a causal connection between the purpose and effort of the employer 7 Justitia | Lawyers & Consultants © 2015 and the gaining of employment or an offer of employment, by the employee.’ This application was distinguished from previous applications under section 120 of the Fair Work Act due to the large group of employees who were the subject of the application. Ordinarily, the Commission hears these applications in respect of a limited number of employees and considers evidence regarding their specific circumstances. As a starting point, the Commissioner observed that there were differing levels of cooperation between SSDS and each incoming contractor. The Commissioner’s task was therefore to determine whether or not the actions of SSDS in respect of each group of employees who were offered work with each of the incoming contractors were sufficient to determine that SSDS had obtained alternative employment for that group of employees. In these circumstances it was necessary to examine what were the moving forces behind the incoming contractor making a job offer and to evaluate the importance of SSDS’s actions in that context. Commissioner Roe accepted that SSDS had expended ‘considerable resources’ to assist its employees in finding new employment. Although that effort went beyond what was required under the consultation provisions, it ‘fell well short of action which “causes acceptable employment to become available” to each of the redundant employees’ and did not establish that SSDS was the ‘moving force’ behind the creation of the job opportunities. For example, SSDS did not reach an agreement with incoming contractors that would guarantee its employees a new job. The evidence established that each of the incoming contractors ran their own competitive recruitment process. In such circumstances, it would generally be relevant to ask, is it likely the applicant would have been successful regardless of the actions of the outgoing employer? Another example of evidence indicating a limited casual connection was that there was no general practice to ensure employees were able to attend interviews, medical appointments and information sessions relating to job opportunities on paid SSDS time. The Commissioner did, however, find stronger evidence of a causal connection between SSDS’ actions and the obtainment of job opportunities for its security workforce with the incoming contractor, MSS Security Pty Ltd (‘MSS’). SSDS made facilities available on site for 8 Justitia | Lawyers & Consultants © 2015 MSS to conduct interviews with SSDS employees, distributed MSS flyers on all sites, advised SSDS employees of job opportunities with MSS and provided assistance with MSS job applications to employees who requested it. The vast majority of SSDS employees who applied for jobs with MSS were successful: only seven of 147 SSDS applicants were rejected. Importantly, SSDS had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (‘MOU’) with MSS around the transfer of its employees to MSS. MSS had an incentive under the MOU to maximise its engagement of SSDS employees. Commissioner Roe ordered that there be a directions hearing to list further proceedings with respect to the SSDS security employees who had obtained employment with MSS. In respect of the other SSDS employees who had been employed to perform work under SSDS’ NSW/ACT contracts. Commissioner Roe was not satisfied that SSDS had obtained acceptable alternative employment for these employees. The application to vary SSDS’ redundancy payments to these employees under section 120 of the Fair Work Act was therefore dismissed. Serco Sodexo Defence Services Pty Ltd (SSDS) [2015] FWC 641 Lessons for Employers In circumstances where an employer cannot pay the amount of redundancy pay due to an employee or the employer obtaining acceptable alternative employment for the employee, the employer can make an application to the Commission to vary the amount of redundancy pay. In order to determine whether the employer has ‘obtained’ alternative employment for the employee, the Commission will assess whether there is a causal connection between the purpose and effort of the employer and the gaining of employment or an offer of employment, by the employee. The employer must be a ‘strong moving force’ towards the creation of the new job opportunity. Factors that the Commission will consider include whether the employer has provided job application assistance to the employee and paid time off to attend relevant interviews and information sessions. Evidence of an agreement between the old employer and 9 Justitia | Lawyers & Consultants © 2015 the new employer regarding the hiring of the employees will be particularly persuasive in establishing that the old employer was a ‘strong moving force’. Promotion as workplace liability The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (‘AAT’), in a recent Comcare appeal, has ruled that a psychiatric injury may be attributed to an employer in circumstances where an employee has been denied a promotion. In this case, an ABC employee (‘the applicant’) sought Comcare support for her psychiatric injury which she said was caused at work. The applicant’s case for Comcare payments rested on showing that her employment contributed to her injuries ‘to a significant degree’. This requirement is contained in section 5 of the Commonwealth Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1998 (‘the Commonwealth Act’). Comcare argued that although her injury may have arisen at work, Comcare was not liable to make payments because the injury was as a result of a reasonable administrative action taken in a reasonable manner. Administrative action is defined to mean a decision on promotion, reclassification, transfer or benefits attached to employment. The applicant worked for the ABC in Renmark, South Australia, from January 2010 to March 2012. She claimed that her condition of anxiety and depression was caused by bullying and harassment from a direct supervisor and another staff member. The work environment at the small Renmark studio was alleged to be ‘toxic’. The applicant had undertaken counselling in May through to June 2011. Two psychiatrists at the AAT hearing agreed that the applicant was suffering from poor mental health. They described her condition as a ‘form of adjustment disorder with anxiety symptoms’ or alternatively a ‘major depressive disorder’. The applicant argued that the anxiety and depression symptoms worsened after she was told of her failure to secure a promotion. The promotion would have resulted in a transfer from the Renmark studio and a small pay increase. Having missed out on the promotion, the applicant was stressed at the thought of returning to work under her supervisor. 10 Justitia | Lawyers & Consultants © 2015 Comcare outlined how the applicant had worked as a producer in the Renmark studio over the period of employment in two main roles, firstly as a producer and subsequently as a temporary cross-media reporter. The applicant enjoyed the cross-media reporter role more, and it was this position that she had unsuccessfully applied for as a permanent role. The applicant argued that the only reason she had applied for the permanent cross-media reporter role was to escape the toxic work environment she worked in as a producer at Renmark. She also maintained that she was suffering the adjustment disorder as a consequence of the bullying, and not because she missed out on the promotion. The AAT was satisfied that on balance, an operative reason for the applicant’s adjustment disorder was her failure to obtain the position of cross media reporter. It next had to decide whether the decision not to promote the applicant was a reasonable administrative action taken in a reasonable manner. In considering this, the AAT concentrated on the fact that the supervisor who was alleged to have bullied and harassed the applicant was on the selection panel for the permanent cross-media reporter position. The applicant successfully argued that the ABC’s guidelines for recruitment and selection had not been followed. The guidelines require that anyone with a perceived conflict of interest, due to their relationship with an applicant (which was known in this case to be very negative), should disqualify themselves from the selection process. It was relevant that the supervisor in question had kept a record of ‘only negative entries’ about the applicant. This record detailed what the supervisor perceived to be the applicant’s failures at work. In these circumstances, the AAT was satisfied that the supervisor should have excluded himself from the selection process. The fact that the supervisor had not excluded himself from the selection panel ultimately meant that the decision not to select the applicant was not made in a ‘reasonable manner’. This was despite the fact that the selection panel report revealed that the supervisor had awarded some of the highest points to the applicant in the selection process. The AAT focussed on what an impartial observer may perceive of the decision, and found that the appearance of bias undermined the integrity of the selection process, irrespective of the supervisor’s actual contribution. 11 Justitia | Lawyers & Consultants © 2015 The employee’s Comcare claim was accepted. Peta Martin v Comcare [2014] AATA 553 Lesson for Employers Employers can be liable under workers compensation law for any mental harm caused by a decision concerning promotion, benefits, transfers or classification, where the decision is not made by way of a fair process, and on reasonable grounds. Consequently, employers need to ensure that they follow their selection and decision-making procedures carefully. If a decision-maker might be perceived to have a bias, that decision-maker should disclose the bias and, in some cases, be removed from the decision-making process altogether. Wrongful dismissal for intoxication Employers require a high level of performance from their employees, but as a consequence of more social settings at work, the performance may be compromised where alcohol has been consumed. What is the employer’s position where a level of intoxication is inevitable, and in some cases, seen to be condoned in the workplace. To deal with the complexities of alcohol and work, employers often have codes of conduct which include terms to the effect that any level of intoxication at work will be met with serious disciplinary consequences for an employee, up to and including dismissal. But how important is the context in which the intoxication occurs? What if the employer pays for the drinks? These issues were recently examined in a breach of contract case heard by the District Court of New South Wales. The plaintiff was the former New South Wales State Manager of an insurance company. The evidence revealed that in the past, there had been an escalation of his drinking patterns due to personal reasons. There was also evidence that the manager had been spoken to by his superior about his practice of having long client lunches, which included alcohol consumption. After this discussion, he ceased the practice of long lunches that included alcohol consumption. 12 Justitia | Lawyers & Consultants © 2015 In October 2012, his employer sent him to Melbourne to attend a sales training conference with his colleagues. The manager’s role at the conference was as an ‘observer’. He arrived in Melbourne the day before the training sessions were to commence and was invited to a dinner with approximately 12 colleagues and others associated with the conference. At the dinner, around $740 worth of alcohol was consumed. Judge Taylor, who heard the case, estimated that this equated to around 80 or more standard drinks. The manager conceded drinking six to eight drinks at the dinner. The dinner was paid for by the employer. After the dinner had concluded, most of the party walked to a nearby pub to continue drinking. The evidence indicated that around 90 drinks were consumed at the pub by the work party. The manager conceded drinking eight or nine drinks at the pub and that he was intoxicated by the time he left the pub. The manager’s colleague paid the bill at the pub for the work party and this was reimbursed by the employer. The manager and this colleague were the last of their party to leave. Judge Taylor was unable to determine the exact time of departure but concluded that it was late, sometime between the hours of 2:00am and 6:45am. They returned to their hotel but the manager, unable to find his door key, sat down on a bench near the lifts and fell asleep. He was awakened by the hotel manager at around 7:00am, obtained a door key, and shortly after retired to his room to sleep. The manager attended the conference at 9:00am for the first of the training sessions, which he had been invited to attend as an observer. His colleague, with whom he had left the pub the night before, failed to attend. Some senior members of staff observed that the manager was not at his best. Judge Taylor accepted that the manager smelt of alcohol, threw a lolly, and for a short period involved himself in the general discussion during which time he ‘lacked seriousness’ and made ‘animal noises’ – though there was evidence that the latter was in relation to ‘conveying information about a recent safari.’ For the most part, the judge accepted that the manager spent most of the morning at the back of the room by himself, working on his iPad. Later that day, he was asked by his immediate superior to return to Sydney. Following an investigation by the employer’s HR Director, the employer summarily dismissed the manager for gross misconduct. 13 Justitia | Lawyers & Consultants © 2015 Judge Taylor concluded that the manager was at a low level of intoxication at the conference and, as this was his workplace at the time, misconduct was proved in accordance with the employer’s Code of Work and Disciplinary Counselling Policy. However, his Honour rejected the conclusion that his misconduct was sufficiently gross to be fairly categorised as serious misconduct permitting the employer to summarily dismiss the manager in accordance with his contract of employment. There was no evidence that the manager’s conduct had any adverse effect on other staff (e.g. through violence or offensive language or conduct) or the reputation of the employer (as there were no clients present). In his nine years of employment with the employer, the manager had never been disciplined for attending work intoxicated and there was no evidence that this had occurred before. Significantly, Judge Taylor held that the employee’s seniority was relevant to assessing the seriousness of the conduct, but also that ‘the approach of [the employer] to alcohol consumption was relevant to the seriousness that should be attributed to intoxication.’ The employer had submitted that the work party’s attendance at the pub was a work-related function. The cost of the alcohol consumed by employees at such events was routinely reimbursed by the employer, regardless of the quantity of alcohol consumed or the ultimate level of intoxication of the participants. His Honour found that employees were expected to socialise and consume alcohol with clients and prospective clients. The employer had a policy that employees should ‘follow the client’ in respect of alcohol consumption. His Honour concluded that these matters ‘do not enhance the seriousness of the intoxication, or suggest that it involved a significant departure from common company standards.’ Judge Taylor found that the employer’s decision to dismiss the manager summarily was in breach of his employment contract. It followed that the manager was entitled to damages. The manager’s contract allowed the employer to terminate his employment with six months’ notice. His Honour assessed the prospect of this occurring and concluded that the employer would have given him notice around eight months after the conference. The manager was therefore awarded $99,062 in lost salary, $118,182 for a lost retention bonus, $48,620 in long service leave and $30,755 in interest. In total, damages were assessed at $296,650. In addition, the employer was ordered to pay the manager’s legal costs. Mitchell-Innes v Willis Australia Group Services Pty Ltd (No 2) 2013/148638 14 Justitia | Lawyers & Consultants © 2015 Lessons for Employers Employers that routinely pay for excessive quantities of alcohol at work-related events will have difficulty establishing that a degree of intoxication at work is commensurate with serious misconduct. Exercise caution when considering whether to dismiss an employee summarily. Summary dismissal should be reserved for instances of serious misconduct, such as conduct that causes serious or imminent risk to health and safety of a person or the reputation, viability or profitability of the employer’s business. If the misconduct does not satisfy this high threshold, the more prudent option is to dismiss the employee with notice. Practical Solutions for Complex Workplaces 15 Justitia | Lawyers & Consultants © 2015 If you require legal advice on the information contained within this Justitia Update, please contact: Mary-Jane Ierodiaconou Managing Partner 03 8621 4540 Sarah Rey Partner 03 8621 4545 Julie White Special Counsel 03 8621 4501 Nandi Segbedzi Special Counsel 03 8621 4501 Magda Marciniak Senior Associate 03 8621 4515 Sue Mitra Senior Associate 03 8621 4510 Laura Douglas Lawyer 03 8621 4568 JUSTI TI A | LAWY ERS & CONSULTANTS Level 5, 45 William Street, Melbourne 3000 GPO Box 4522, Melbourne 3001 p. 03 8621 4500 f. 03 8621 4599 justitia.com.au Tower A, Level 5, 7 London Circuit, Canberra 2601 p. 02 6169 4470 f. 02 6169 4480 JUSTITIA UPDATE provides information on topics of interest. It is not intended to be a substitute for legal advice. Legal advice should be obtained in relation to specific circumstances. Liability will not be accepted for any loss flowing from reliance upon the information provided in this Justitia Update. 16 Justitia | Lawyers & Consultants © 2015
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