Singh v Secretary, Department of Education
[2020] NSWIRComm 1075
At a glance
Source factsCourt
Industrial Relations Commission (NSW)
Decision date
2020-09-04
Source
Original judgment source is linked above.
Judgment (17 paragraphs)
DECISION
- Rajinder Singh was employed with the Department of Education ("Department"). In March 2020 he was directed to resign from his employment as a consequence of findings of misconduct which had been made against him. Pursuant to that direction, on 20 April 2020 Mr Singh resigned from his employment with effect from 21 April 2020.
- On 23 April 2020 Mr Singh filed with the Office of the Industrial Registrar an Application for Relief in respect of Unfair Dismissal ("Application") pursuant to s 84 of the Industrial Relations Act 1996 (NSW) ("Act"). In the Application, Mr Singh alleged that the termination of his employment was harsh, unreasonable or unjust. He sought reinstatement to his position or, failing that, re-employment or compensation.
- Throughout the proceedings Mr Singh was self-represented. I endeavoured to follow the guidance given by the Court of Appeal in Hamod v State of New South Wales and Anor [2011] NSWCA 375 at [309]: "Courts have an overriding duty to ensure that a trial is fair. ...In the context of an unrepresented litigant, the duty requires that a person does not suffer a disadvantage from exercising the recognised right of a litigant to be self-represented..." (References omitted)
- In these proceedings that guidance led to me being considerably more active than might otherwise have been the case in assisting Mr Singh to present his case. This included putting questions to Mr Singh to allow him to properly articulate his case in chief and in "re-examination", and in asking some questions of the only witness for the Department required for cross-examination. I took these steps as I wished to be certain that Mr Singh had every opportunity to put his case in full.