Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Christchurch
Reference No CA 120/06
Hearing date 20 Jun 2006
Determination date 11 August 2006
Member H Doyle
Representation Chris Patterson ; Stephen Caradus
Location Christchurch
Parties Flight Centre v Keys
Summary COSTS - Applicant discontinued claims against respondent before substantive investigation meeting but after interlocutory matter and number of telephone conferences - Respondent sought actual costs of $8979, including mediation costs, plus disbursements - Authority not prepared to award costs for mediation - Claim against respondent no more substantial than others in Authority but had degree of legal complexity - As no investigation meeting Authority not able to form view on whether claim brought for wider commercial reasons - No direct evidence respondent's current employer funded defence - No grounds to justify actual costs - Considered reasonable costs would be about $3,000 even for experienced counsel - Disbursements not specified - Fair and reasonable in circumstances to make higher than normal award for claim discontinued before investigation
Result Costs in favour of respondent ($2,000 including disbursements)
Cases Cited Eniata v Amcor Packaging (New Zealand) Ltd unreported, Colgan J, 24 May 2002, AC 19A/02;PBO Ltd (formerly Rush Security Ltd) v Da Cruz [2005] 1 ERNZ 808
Number of Pages 4
PDF File Link: ca 120_06.pdf [pdf 19 KB]