THE state of NSW could have to pay ‘‘at least’’ $438,000 to Swansea whistleblower Gillian Sneddon if an appeal against a NSW Supreme Court decision is successful, a NSW Court of Appeal judge found today.
Justice Reginald Barrett ordered the state of NSW to pay Ms Sneddon’s legal costs for today’s hearing after dismissing a motion that would have stopped Ms Sneddon’s court action against it.
Ms Sneddon is appealing against a court decision last year that ruled the state was not liable for the actions of her former employer, the disgraced Swansea MP Milton Orkopoulos.
A NSW Supreme Court judge last year found her nominal employer, the NSW Speaker of Parliament, and the jailed Orkopoulos, were liable for damages because of bullying and harassment after she assisted police to convict Orkopoulos of child sex and drugs charges.
But the judge found the state of NSW was not vicariously liable for the actions of the former Labor government minister.
Justice Barrett today found that if Ms Sneddon’s appeal was successful, the state would have to pay ‘‘at least’’ $438,000, or the amount of damages awarded in last year’s judgment against Orkopoulos.
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