Justice Allsop of the Federal Court today handed down a summary of his judgment in the case of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Woolworths.
He found that Woolworths contravened the exclusionary (primary boycott) provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974 in respect of its dealings with the Ettamogah Hotel at Campbelltown and Global Beer at Tweed Heads.
He also found that Woolworths had contravened the Act by entering into deeds with applicants for liquor licences for the purpose of substantially lessening competition in packaged liquor markets in the geographic areas of Campbelltown, Tweed Heads and Arncliffe/Rockdale.
The matter returns to the court on Monday (3 July 2006) to consider arguments as to the confidentiality of some parts of the judgment. A hearing with respect to penalty is pending.