Justice Hogan in May of 2012 in Wallace v Irish Aviation Authority has the potential to cause a dramatic shift in the granting of the so-called 'employment' injunctions going forward. This essay will discuss the decision in Wallace and its potential effects to future case law, with the assumption that the reader already has a sense for the general principles# used to determine whether an injunction will be granted in cases of this kind. Since the first injunction of this kind was granted in this jurisdiction in the case of Fennelly v Assicurazioni Generali Spa, the criteria to be considered, particularly in relation to interlocutory injunctions, has been ever evolving. Wallace presents further change.
A brief description of the facts of the case is now necessary. Regina Wallace, the plaintiff, was employed by the Irish Aviation Authority, the defendant, in their training center in Shannon, Co. Clare. As a result of an unexplained absence from work the plaintiff was dismissed following a disciplinary hearing. The plaintiff had an unprecedented level of absenteeism, having taken 759 days of sick leave over a 9 year period. The plaintiff had also over the course of her employment made two allegations of bullying, one of which she had succeeded in and the other which was outstanding. The dismissal was appealed, and the defendant purported to place her on administrative leave with full pay until the end of the appeal proceedings. The plaintiff brought an action to the High Court seeking an interlocutory injunction to restrain her employer from placing her on leave, as she wished to remain in work until the date of the appeal. The dismissal is not directly at issue here. The key question is: can the authority place her on administrative leave pending the outcome of the appeal?.
A key factor in determining this was certain terms of the employee's contract that stated the following: "Appeals will be heard by an Authority Manager senior to the Manager who decided the outcome of the hearing of the appeal.