R v Kirby; Ex parte Boilermakers' Society of Australia, known as the Boilermakers' Case, was a 1956 decision of the High Court of Australia which considered the powers of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration to punish the Boilermakers' Society of Australia, a union which had disobeyed the orders of that court in relation to an industrial dispute between boilermakers and their employer body, the Metal Trades Employers' Association.
The High Court held that the judicial power of the Commonwealth could not be vested in a tribunal that also exercised non-judicial functions. It is a major case dealing with the separation of powers in Australian law.
Background
Separation of powers
The High Court had consistently held that the judicial power of the Commonwealth could not be exercised by any body except a court established under Chapter III of the Constitution or a state court invested with federal jurisdiction. This was because the separation of judicial and other powers was a fundamental principle of the Constitution.
The High Court had held that the separation of powers did not prevent a federal court or federal judge from discharging other functions. Chief Justice Latham stated that:</blockquote>
Facts
The Metal Trades Award was made by a conciliation commissioner on 16 January 1952 and included a prohibition on industrial action as follows:
<blockquote>(ba) (i) No organization party to this award shall in any way, whether directly or indirectly be a party to or concerned in any ban, limitation or restriction upon the performance of work in accordance with this award.<br />
(ii) An organization shall be deemed to commit a new and separate breach of the above sub-clause on each and every day in which it is directly or indirectly a party to such ban, limitation or restriction.</blockquote>
Members of the Federated Ironworkers Association (FIA) at the Mort's Dock & Engineering Company's shipyard in Balmain, Sydney, including FIA delegate Nick Origlass, went on strike from 16 February 1955 seeking an increase in pay of A£1 per week. Other workers were supporting the strikers by paying a levy of 8 shillings per week. The strike was portrayed by the Communist Party of Australia as a contest between the union members and the National Secretary of the , Laurie Short, who was a grouper, part of the informal Industrial Groups set up by the Labor Party within trade unions to counter the perceived threat of Communist Party influence.
The Arbitration Court made orders against the requiring it to comply with the Metal Trades Award. The strike continued and on 20 May 1955 the FIA was found to be in contempt of court despite genuine attempts to have the employees return to work. No fine was imposed; however, the FIA had to pay legal costs of 160 guineas.
Prior actions
thumb|The cargo ship MV Poul Carl
Members of the Boilermakers' Society of Australia were among those supporting the strikers by paying the levy of 8 shillings per week. They also put a ban on repair work on the cargo ship Poul Carl, The Boilermakers were subsequently found to be in contempt of court by permitting its members to contribute "strike pay", thereby actively subsidising the strike and prolonging it. The Boilermakers were fined A£500 and ordered to pay the employers' legal costs.
The High Court application
The Boilermakers applied to the High Court for a writ of prohibition compelling Kirby, Dunphy and Ashburner and the Metal Trades Employers Association, to appear before the High Court to show cause why they should not be prohibited from further proceeding on orders. The Boilermakers challenged the orders on the grounds that sections of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act were invalid in that the Court of Conciliation and Arbitration was given non-judicial powers (administrative, arbitral, executive and legislative powers) as well as judicial powers and the separation of powers in Chapter III of the Constitution meant that the same body could not exercise judicial and non-judicial powers. Eggleston appeared for the Boilermakers. Menzies appeared for the Arbitration Court and the Attorney-General. Macfarlan appeared for the Metal Trades Employers Association.
Judgment of the High Court
The High Court held that the judicial power of the Commonwealth could not be vested in a tribunal that also exercised non-judicial functions. It is a major case dealing with the separation of powers in Australian law.
Grant of both judicial and non-judicial powers
Dixon, McTiernan, Fullagar and Kitto held that it was:
Is it the grant of judicial or of non-judicial powers which fails
The majority opinion of Dixon, McTiernan, Fullagar and Kitto, held simply that the Arbitration Court was "a tribunal established and equipped primarily and predominantly for the work of industrial conciliation and arbitration" and thus held it was the attachment of powers of judicial enforcement that were invalid. and was represented by the Solicitor-General, Bailey . The Boilermakers filed submissions by Eggleston , however they did not appear at the hearing.
The advice of the Privy Council was delivered by Viscount Simonds. The Privy Council largely followed the reasoning of the majority of the High Court.
There are few Privy Council decisions about the Australian Constitution that are cited in the High Court. While the decision in Boilermakers is often cited, it is High Court decision that is cited, with the notation that it was affirmed by the Privy Council.