Henning v State of Queensland (Queensland Treasury)

The appellant, Mr Henning, brought an appeal against the State of Queensland in relation to a promotion decision, which was dismissed. The decision was made pursuant to the Public Service Act 2008 and the Industrial Relations Act 2016. Mr Henning argued that the selection panel had a conflict of interest and that the interview process was flawed. The court had to decide whether the recruitment and selection process was deficient and if the decision was fair and reasonable.

Mr Henning contended that the panel members had a conflict of interest, as they were recently employed by the same department as the successful candidate. However, the court found that there was no evidence of a familial relationship between the panel members and the successful candidate. Additionally, the court found that Mr Henning's submissions were vague and imprecise, and there was no cogent evidence to support the claim of a conflict of interest. The court also found that the interview process was not flawed, as it was based on the merit principle.

The court confirmed the decision appealed against and dismissed the appeal. The decision was found to be fair and reasonable, and there was no evidence of nepotism or conflict of interest. The court found that the selection process was conducted in accordance with the relevant legislation and directives.

No further orders were made by the court.