Adachi v Qantas Airways Ltd (No.2)

In *Adachi v Qantas Airways Ltd (No.2)*, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia considered an application for costs made by Qantas Airways Ltd (Qantas) against the applicant, Mr. Adachi. The dispute arose from an earlier proceeding in which Mr. Adachi had brought an application against Qantas.

The central legal issue before Judge Barnes was whether there had been an "unreasonable act or omission" by Mr. Adachi in the conduct of the earlier proceeding, which would warrant an order for costs in favour of Qantas pursuant to section 570 of the *Fair Work Act 2009* (Cth).

Judge Barnes found that Mr. Adachi's conduct in the earlier proceeding, specifically his failure to attend a scheduled conciliation conference and his subsequent failure to provide any explanation or apology for this absence, constituted an unreasonable act or omission. The Court reasoned that such conduct significantly impeded the efficient resolution of the dispute and imposed unnecessary costs and inconvenience on Qantas. Accordingly, the Court ordered that Mr. Adachi pay Qantas's costs of the earlier proceeding.