Nalbandian v Commonwealth of Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics)

The applicant, Mr. Nalbandian, brought proceedings against the Commonwealth of Australia, represented by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), in the Federal Court of Australia. The dispute concerned the applicant's claim for compensation for alleged breaches of his employment contract and for the alleged wrongful dismissal from his employment with the ABS.

The primary legal issue before the Court was whether the applicant had been wrongfully dismissed from his employment. This required the Court to determine whether the ABS had breached the terms of Mr. Nalbandian's employment contract, and if so, whether that breach constituted a repudiation of the contract, thereby entitling the applicant to damages.

Judge Street found that the applicant had not been wrongfully dismissed. The Court held that the actions taken by the ABS did not amount to a repudiation of the employment contract. Consequently, the applicant's claim for damages for breach of contract and wrongful dismissal failed.