Work and Income has won a court battle against a Dunedin beneficiary.
The High Court has overturned rulings by the Human Rights Review Tribunal, which had awarded Gordon Holmes $17,000 in compensation for two privacy breaches.
In a reserved decision, the High Court struck out one finding and cut the damages for the other to $2000.
The court found the branch manager at the centre of the case had been confused by a request from Mr Holmes for file information, and the tribunal erred in law by assuming she had refused to provide it.
Mr Holmes says he is disappointed because the case was about getting the agency to treat people like human beings.
