Case Law Updates

Federal Circuit and Family Court. Does s 131 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) imply an obligation that a revocation decision is to be made within a "reasonable time"? If so, can it be said that "the decision-making scheme of Subdivision F gives rise to a powerful implication that the Minister’s obligation to consider and determine a revocation application under s 131 should be discharged within a time which is capable of effecting a restoration of the cancelled rights in both a legal and practical sense"?

Federal Court: 'I do not think that [deciding to cancel a visa under s 501(3) rather than s 501(2)] is a “decision” which is subject to judicial review'

Federal Court (Full Court): Under the now "repaired" Medevac provisions, 2 doctors must assess ("either remotely or in person") a transitory person before that person can be brought to Australia for medical treatment. The non-citizen argued that the review of medical records of itself constituted "remote assessment". The Minister unsuccessfully argued before a single judge of the FCA that "remote assessment" must involve a consultation. The Minister appealed the single judge's decision to the Full Court.

Federal Court (Full Court). In the decision in Stewart  plainly wrong? If an invitation issued under s 501CA contained an error in the specification of the deadline for the making of representations, can it nevertheless be said that whether the invitation is invalid will depend on the extent and consequences of the error? If an invitation issued under s 501CA is invalid, does it follow that the anterior mandatory cancellation decision itself under s 501(3A) is also invalid?

Federal Court. Is the statutory bar imposed by s 501E of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) an inevitable, immediate and direct consequence of the Minister exercising the power conferred by s 501BA, with the result that such a consequence has to be considered when exercising that power?

The provision of false information was irrelevant for the purposes of determining whether a passport was a bogus document under s 5(1) and thus whether a protection visa should be refused under s 91WA of the Migration Act 1958

Federal Court (Full Court). Can it be said that, in an appeal by way of re-hearing, "in deciding the proper inferences to be drawn from facts undisputed or otherwise found, the appeal court will give respect and weight to the conclusion of the trial judge, but, once having reached its own conclusion, will not shrink from giving effect to it"? Is error "limited to showing why or how the trial judge erred in the process or approach that was taken"?

Can RMAs draft statutory declarations for clients or provide them with templates? If so, to what extent? Should an RMA "doubt the information provided by ... client/s, the witnesses or the Declarants or any documents that [the RMA] has witnessed”? Does the responsibility to provide correct information lie with the person making a declaration? If a client keeps a copy of the service agreement, but the RMA does not, is the RMA entitled to payments? If "the way [an RMA] has managed [his/her] practice has proven successful over the years", does that "absolve" the RMA of his/her recording keeping obligations? Can it be said that "assisting ... clients with completing their forms and preparing their statutory declaration along with the signing of the Form 956" are sufficient to comply with cl 2.8(a), according to which RMAs must confirm client's instructions in writing?

Federal Court. Was the day the person made an application for citizenship the day it was dispatched? Or was it made the day it was received by the Minister?

Federal Court (Full Court). Is s 46(2) of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 (Cth) which, among other things, requires courts to "do all things necessary to ensure that the matter [the subject of a certificate under s 39B(2)] is not disclosed to any person other than a member of the court as constituted for the purposes of the [judicial review] proceeding" brought under s 44, constitutionally valid?