Catherine20Lee20Appellant1.docx

Catherine20Lee20Appellant1.docx

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Catherine20Lee20Appellant1

CatherineLeeAppellant;vLee'sAirFarmingLtd.Respondents.

JudicialCommittee

11October1960

[1960]3W.L.R.758

[1961]A.C.12

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—"Worker"—Workers'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"worker"employedbytherespondentcompanywithinthemeaningoftheWorkers'CompensationAct,1922,asamended:

-

Held,thatthedeceasedwasa"worker"withinthemeaningoftheAct.Hispositionassolegoverningdirectordidnotmakeitimpossibleforhimtobeaservantofthecompanyinthecapacityofchiefpilot,forheandthecompanywereseparateanddistinctlegalentitieswhichcouldenter,andhadentered,intoavalidcontractualrelationship,whichwasnotinvalidatedbythecircumstancesthatthedeceasedwassolegoverningdirectorinwhomwasvestedthefullgovernmentandcontrolofthecompanyandalsothecontrollingshareholder.Theywereseparatelegalentitiesalsosoastoenablethecompanytogiveorderstothedeceased.Onepersonmayfunctionindualcapacities,andactinginonecapacitygiveorderstohimselfinanothercapacity.Thecontractualrelationshipwasthatofmasterandservant,andacontractofservicewasenteredintoandoperatedandthedeceasedwasa"worker"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"worker"inthathewasemployedbytherespondentcompany.Therespondentcompanydeniedthatthedeceasedwasa"worker"withinthemeaningoftheWorkers'CompensationAct,1922,anditsamendments.Itwasprovidedbysection3

（1）oftheActasfollows:

"3.-

（1）IfinanyemploymenttowhichthisActappliespersonalinjurybyaccidentarisingoutofandinthecourseoftheemploymentiscausedtoaworker,hisemployershallbeliabletopaycompensationinaccordancewithprovisionsofthisAct."

Undertherelevantpartofthestatutorydefinitiontheterm"worker"meant"anypersonwhohasenteredintoorworksunderacontractofserviceorapprenticeshipwithanemployer,whetherbywayofmanuallabour,clericalwork,orotherwise,andwhetherremuneratedbywages,salary,orotherwise."Thedenialoftherespondentcompanythatthedeceasedwasa"worker"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