| Restrictions | OK |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Employment Relations Authority - Christchurch |
| Reference No | CA 97A/07 |
| Determination date | 18 October 2007 |
| Member | J Crichton |
| Representation | P Shamy, K Dalziel ; A Drake |
| Location | Christchurch |
| Parties | Tayler & Ors v Office Max New Zealand Ltd |
| Summary | COSTS - Successful personal grievances - Two day investigation meeting - Total of 11 applicants sought award of $2,500 to $3,000 per day per applicant - Respondent proposed contribution of $6,000 total to costs incurred by applicants - Both parties questioned need for investigation meeting and considered factual matrix confined - Matter less complex as applicants' evidence very similar - Costs award of magnitude sought by applicants considered quite extraordinary as no evidence matters in contention so complex or out of the ordinary uniquely high award required - Authority made decision to hear evidence in investigation meeting rather than decide case on papers in order to ascertain whether applicants' had colluded in their evidence - Not a case that justified extraordinary costs award - No documentation or evidence provided by applicants identifying costs - Respondent's starting point reasonable but adjusted to take into account additional complexity of group action - Applicants awarded global contribution to costs |
| Result | Costs in favour of applicants ($8,000) |
| Main Category | Costs |
| Cases Cited | PBO Ltd(formerly Rush Security Ltd) v Da Cruz [2005] 1 ERNZ 808 |
| Number of Pages | 4 |
| PDF File Link: | ca 97a_07.pdf [pdf 19 KB] |