Catherine20Lee20Appellant1文档格式.docx

Catherine20Lee20Appellant1文档格式.docx

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ViscountSimonds,LordReid,LordTucker,LordDenningandLordMorrisofBorth-Y-Gest.

1960Oct.11.

OnAppealfromtheCourtofAppealofNewZealand.

Company—Director—Governingdirector—Whetherservantofcompany—Accidentwhileworkingforcompanyforwages—Whethercompanyliableforcompensation—"

Worker"

—Workers'

CompensationAct,1922（No.39）（NewZealand）,ss.2,3

（1）.

MasterandServant—Companydirector—Whetherservantofcompany—Governingdirectoremployedaschiefpilot.

NewZealand—Workers'

compensation—Company—Accidenttogoverningdirectorwhileemployedbycompany—Whethercompanyliableforcompensation—"

CompensationAct,1922（No.39）,ss.2,3

（1）.

Workmen'

sCompensationGoverningdirector—Accidentwhileworkingforcompanyforwages—Liabilityofcompanyforcompensation—NewZealand.

*13

Section3

（1）oftheWorkers'

CompensationAct,1922,ofNewZealand,providesthatif"

personalinjurybyaccidentarisingoutofandinthecourseoftheemploymentiscausedtoaworker,hisemployershallbeliabletopaycompensation,"

and"

worker"

isdefinedinsection2as"

anypersonwhohasenteredintoorworksunderacontractofservice...withanemployer...whetherremuneratedbywages,salary,orotherwise."

Theappellant'

shusband,whohadformedtherespondentcompanyforthepurposeofcarryingonthebusinessofaerialtop-dressing,wasthecontrollingshareholderofthecompany,andwasbyitsarticlesofassociationappointedgoverningdirectorandemployedatasalaryasitschiefpilot.Inhiscapacityasgoverningdirectorandcontrollingshareholderheexercisedfullandunrestrictedcontroloveralltheoperationsofthecompany.Pursuanttoitsstatutoryobligationsthecompanyhadinsureditselfagainstliabilitytopaycompensationinthecaseofaccidenttohim.Whilepilotinganaircraftbelongingtothecompanyinthecourseofaerialtop-dressingoperationstheaircraftcrashedandhewaskilled.Onaclaimbytheappellantagainsttherespondentcompanyforcompensation,allegingthatatthetimeoftheaccidentherhusbandwasa"

employedbytherespondentcompanywithinthemeaningoftheWorkers'

CompensationAct,1922,asamended:

-

Held,thatthedeceasedwasa"

withinthemeaningoftheAct.Hispositionassolegoverningdirectordidnotmakeitimpossibleforhimtobeaservantofthecompanyinthecapacityofchiefpilot,forheandthecompanywereseparateanddistinctlegalentitieswhichcouldenter,andhadentered,intoavalidcontractualrelationship,whichwasnotinvalidatedbythecircumstancesthatthedeceasedwassolegoverningdirectorinwhomwasvestedthefullgovernmentandcontrolofthecompanyandalsothecontrollingshareholder.Theywereseparatelegalentitiesalsosoastoenablethecompanytogiveorderstothedeceased.Onepersonmayfunctionindualcapacities,andactinginonecapacitygiveorderstohimselfinanothercapacity.Thecontractualrelationshipwasthatofmasterandservant,andacontractofservicewasenteredintoandoperatedandthedeceasedwasa"

withinthestatutorydefinition.

Salomonv.Salomon&

Co.[1897]A.C.22;

13T.L.R.46,H.L.;

InlandRevenueCommissionersv.Sansom[1921]2K.B.492,C.A.;

andFowlerv.CommercialTimberCo.Ltd.[1930]2K.B.1,C.A.considered.

Brownv.OkiwiFarmsLtd.[1957]N.Z.L.R.1073mustberegardedasturningonitsownfacts.

JudgmentoftheCourtofAppealofNewZealand[1959]N.Z.L.R.393reversed.

APPEAL（No.18of1960）,byspecialleave,fromajudgmentoftheCourtofAppealofNewZealand（December18,1958）holdingonacasestatedbytheCompensationCourtofNewZealand*14undertheWorkers'

CompensationRules,1939,thatonthefactssetoutinthecasetheappellant'

sdeceasedhusbandcouldnotholdtheofficeofgoverningdirectoroftherespondentcompanyandalsobeaservantofthecompany.

ThefollowingfactsaretakenfromthejudgmentoftheJudicialCommittee:

ThejudgmentoftheCourtofAppealofNewZealand,fromwhichthisappealwasbrought,wasgivenastheiropinionuponacasestatedbythejudgeoftheCompensationCourt.Itwasprovidedbyrule5ofChapterVIIIoftheWorkers'

CompensationRules,1939,that"

InanyactionorotherproceedingthecourtorajudgethereofmaystateacasefortheopinionoftheCourtofAppealonanypointoflawarisingintheactionorproceeding."

ThisprocedurewasadoptedbythejudgeoftheCompensationCourtintheactionwhichwasbroughtbytheappellantinrespectofthedeathofherhusband.Sheclaimed£

2,430compensationonbehalfofherselfandherfourinfantchildrenandshealsoclaimedasumforfuneralexpenses.TheclaimwasmadeinrelianceupontheprovisionsoftheWorkers'

CompensationAct,1922,asamendedbylaterstatutes.Theappellant'

slatehusbanddiedinanaircraftaccidentinCanterbury,NewZealand,onMarch5,1956,whileengagedinthecapacityofanaircraftpilotinaerialtop-dressingoperations.Theclaimoftheappellantresteduponherallegationthatatthetimeofhisdeathherhusbandwasa"

inthathewasemployedbytherespondentcompany.Therespondentcompanydeniedthatthedeceasedwasa"

withinthemeaningoftheWorkers'

CompensationAct,1922,anditsamendments.Itwasprovidedbysection3

（1）oftheActasfollows:

"

3.-

（1）IfinanyemploymenttowhichthisActappliespersonalinjurybyaccidentarisingoutofandinthecourseoftheemploymentiscausedtoaworker,hisemployershallbeliabletopaycompensationinaccordancewithprovisionsofthisAct."

Undertherelevantpartofthestatutorydefinitiontheterm"

meant"

anypersonwhohasenteredintoorworksunderacontractofserviceorapprenticeshipwithanemployer,whetherbywayofmanuallabour,clericalwork,orotherwise,andwhetherremuneratedbywages,salary,orotherwise."

Thedenialoftherespondentcompanythatthedeceasedwasa"

wasbasedonthefactthatthedeceasedwasatthetimeoftheaccidentthecontrollingshareholderandgoverningdirectoroftherespondentcompany.In1954thedeceasedhadinstructedafirmofpublicaccountantsinChristchurchtoformacompanyforthepurposeofconductinganaerialtop-dressing*15business.OnAugust5,1954,"

Lee'

sAirFarmingLimited,"

therespondentcompany,wasincorporated.Thenominalcapitalofthecompanywas£

3,000dividedintothreethousandsharesof£

1each.Thedeceasedwasallotted2,999shares;

theremainingshareaccordingtothememorandumofassociationwastobetakenbyasolicitor.Thearticlesofassociationincludedthefollowing:

"

32.SubjectashereinafterprovidedGeoffreyWoodhouseLeeshallbeandheisherebyappointedgoverningdirectorandsubjecttotheprovisionsofclause34hereofshallholdthatofficeforlifeandthefullgovernmentandcontrolofthecompanyshallbevestedinhimandhemayexerciseallthepowersandauthoritiesanddiscretionsvestedinthedirectorsgenerallyandthatnotwithstandingheisthesoledirectorholdingofficeandhemayexerciseallthepowersofthecompanywhicharenotbystatuterequiredtobeexercisedbythecompanyingeneralmeetingandanyminuteenteredintheminutebookofthecompany'

sproceedingssignedbythegoverningdirectorshall,inanymatternotexpresslyrequiredbystatutetobedonebythecompanyingeneralmeetinghavetheeffectofaresolutionofthecompany.

33.ThecompanyshallemploythesaidGeoffreyWoodhouseLeeasthechiefpilotofthecompanyatasalaryof£

1,500perannumfromthedateofincorporationofthecompanyandinrespectofsuchemploymenttherulesoflawapplicabletotherelationshipofmasterandservantshallapplyasbetweenthecompanyandthesaidGeoffreyWoodhouseLee.

34.Thegoverningdirectormayretirefromofficeupongivingonemonth'

snoticeinwritingofhisintentionsotodo,andtheofficeofgoverningdirectorshallbevacatedifthegoverningdirector（a）ceasestobeadirectorbyvirtueofsection148oftheAct;

or（b）becomesbankruptorentersintoacompositionwithhiscreditors;

or（c）becomesprohibitedfrombeingadirectorbyreasonofanyordermadeundersection216or268oftheAct;

or（d）becomesofunsoundmindorbecomesaprotectedpersonundertheAgedandInfirmPersonsProtectionAct,1912;

or（e）becomesincapableofcarryingoutthedutiesofadirector.

35.Thegoverningdirectormayatanytimeconvenegeneralmeetingofthecompany.

36.Thegoverningdirectorshallnotbedisqualifiedbyhisofficefromholdinganyofficeorplaceofprofitinthecompany*16orfromcontractingwiththecompanywhetherasvendor,purchaserorotherwise,norshallanysuchcontractorarrangementoranycontractorarrangemententeredintobyoronbehalfofthecompanyinwhichthegoverningdirectorshallbeinterestedbeavoidednorshallthegoverningdirectorbeliabletoaccountforanyprofitrealisedbyanysuchcontractorarrangementbyreasonofthegoverningdirectorholdingsuchofficeorofthefiduciaryrelationstherebyestablished.

DIRECTORS

37.Ifandwheneverthereshallceasetobeagoverningdirectorthenumberofdirectorsofthecompanyshallnotbemorethanfourorlessthantwowhoshallforthwithbeappointedorelectedbythecompanyingeneralmeeting.

38.Adirectorneednotholdanysharequalificationinthecapitalofthecompany."

43.Nodirectorshallbedisqualifiedbyhisofficefromholdinganyofficeorplaceofprofitunderthecompanyorunderanycompanyinwhichthiscompanyshallbeashareholderorotherwiseinterestedorfromcontractingw