Wilde Jake Ball v Australian Road Services Pty Ltd

Case [2023] FWC 207


[2023] FWC 207

FAIR WORK COMMISSION

DECISION

Fair Work Act 2009

s.394—Unfair dismissal

Wilde Jake Ball
v

Australian Road Services Pty Ltd

(U2022/11908)

VICE PRESIDENT CATANZARITI

SYDNEY, 24 JANUARY 2023

Application for an unfair dismissal remedy.

  1. Wilde Jake Ball (the applicant) was employed by Australian Road Services Pty Ltd (the respondent) from the 11th of April 2022 until he was dismissed on the 18th of November 2022.

  1. On the 15th of December 2022, the applicant made an application for a remedy for unfair dismissal under s.394 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act).

  1. The application was lodged 6 days out of time.

  2. On the 12th of January 2023, correspondence was sent to the applicant in relation to the matter being lodged out of time and he was required to respond by the 17th of January 2023.

  3. On the 18th of January 2023, further correspondence was sent to the applicant directing him to provide a response by 5:00pm on the 20th of January 2023. He was advised that in the absence of a reply, his application may be dismissed.

  1. To date, the applicant has not responded to any of the correspondence that my Chambers has sent to this date.

  1. Section 587 of the Act provides:

587 Dismissing applications

(1) Without limiting when the FWC may dismiss an application, the FWC may dismiss an application if:

(a) the application is not made in accordance with this Act; or

(b) the application is frivolous or vexatious; or

(c) the application has no reasonable prospects of success.

(2) Despite paragraphs (1)(b) and (c), FWC must not dismiss an application under section 365 or 773 on the ground that the application:

(a) is frivolous or vexatious; or

(b) has no reasonable prospects of success.

(3) FWC may dismiss an application:

(a) on its own initiative; or

(b) on application.

  1. The words, “Without limiting when FWC may dismiss an application” at the commencement of s.587(1) of the Act, establish that the jurisdiction of the Commission to dismiss an application is not limited to the circumstances set out in s.587(1)(a), (b) and (c).

  1. In the circumstances I have decided to dismiss the application for want of prosecution pursuant to s.587(3)(a) of the Act.

  1. An order to that effect will issue with this decision.

VICE PRESIDENT

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Details
AGLC
Wilde Jake Ball v Australian Road Services Pty Ltd [2023] FWC 207
Case
[2023] FWC 207
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

Wilde Jake Ball applied for an unfair dismissal remedy against Australian Road Services Pty Ltd, seeking relief under section 394 of the Fair Work Act 2009. The application was lodged six days beyond the required timeframe. Despite multiple communications from the Fair Work Commission, Ball did not respond to any of the notices sent to him. The Commission was required to decide whether to dismiss the application for being out of time and for want of prosecution.

The Commission considered whether it had the jurisdiction to dismiss the application under section 587 of the Fair Work Act. The Commission noted that the words "without limiting when the FWC may dismiss an application" in section 587(1) of the Act establish that the Commission's jurisdiction to dismiss an application is not limited to the circumstances set out in section 587(1)(a), (b) and (c). Given the applicant's failure to respond to multiple notices and his application being out of time, the Commission found that the application had no reasonable prospects of success.

The Commission dismissed the application for want of prosecution pursuant to section 587(3)(a) of the Act. The Commission found that the application was not made in accordance with the Act and had no reasonable prospects of success. An order to that effect will issue with this decision.

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