Bryant v The Commonwealth

Bryant (the applicant) sought special leave to appeal to the High Court of Australia from a decision of the Full Federal Court. The dispute concerned the applicant's claim for compensation under the *Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988* (Cth) (the SRC Act) for an injury sustained while travelling to work. The applicant had been injured in a motor vehicle accident on his way to a voluntary work-related training course.

The primary legal issue before the High Court was whether the applicant's injury, sustained during his commute to a voluntary training course, constituted an injury arising out of or in the course of his employment for the purposes of the SRC Act. This required the Court to consider the scope of "employment" and the circumstances under which an employer could be liable for injuries sustained during travel to or from the workplace, particularly when the travel was for a voluntary activity.

The High Court granted special leave to appeal and, by majority, allowed the appeal. The Court reasoned that the training course, although voluntary, was undertaken for the benefit of the employer and was directly connected to the applicant's employment. Therefore, the travel to and from the course was considered to be in the course of employment. The Court applied the principles established in cases concerning the scope of employment, emphasising that activities undertaken for the employer's benefit, even if not strictly mandatory, could fall within the ambit of employment for the purposes of the SRC Act. The Full Federal Court's decision was overturned.