Case Law Updates

A guidance decision indicates how the AAT (and possibly the Department) will interpret the transitional provisions for nominations made before 18 March 2018 where no corresponding subclass 457 visa application was made.

Supreme Court of New South Wales. Is the question of whether, in applying a legislative power or discretion that does not infringe on the Constitution and is thus valid, the application of that power infringes on the Constitution a question of constitutional law? If not, does it mean that the implied freedom of political communication may not be a relevant consideration in the exercise of a discretion under any legislation?

Federal Court (Full Court). If, following the affirmed refusal by the Tribunal of a protection visa application, the Minister intervenes under s 417(1) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth), does the protection visa application remain refused, with the result that the bar under s 48A prevents a further protection visa application being made while the non-citizen is in the migration zone?

Federal Court (Full Court). Subsection 501(2) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) gives the Minister the discretion to cancel a visa if certain pre-conditions are satisfied. If certain facts satisfy those pre-conditions but the Minister decides not to cancel a visa, can the Minister re-exercise the discretion and cancel the visa under that same provision based on the same facts? If certain facts satisfy those pre-conditions and the Minister decides to exercise the discretion under s 501(2) to cancel a visa, but the Tribunal sets aside that decision, can the Minister cancel the visa once again under that same provision based on the same facts that satisfied those pre-conditions?

Federal Court. Did the primary judge err in: refusing to provide written reasons following delivery of his ex tempore reasons; communicating that he had no power to publish written reasons? If so to the latter question, does that error invalidate the primary judge’s exercise of judicial power? Does the primary judge’s indication that he would not settle a form of written reasons mean that he failed to give reasons? Can an incomplete transcript of oral reasons be relied upon as reasons of the Court?

Federal Court. Does legislation "operate extraterritorially merely because it might have some relationship to events which occur overseas"? Does s 6 of the Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) (Emergency Requirements—High Risk Country Travel Pause) Determination 2021 (Cth) operate extraterritorially? Is there a "common law right on the part of Australian citizens to re-enter Australia"? If so, was that right abrogated by legislation?

Federal Court. Applicant's representations under s 501CA(3) included: "People like me, who have family in first world countries ... are often kidnapped and held for ransom [in El Salvador]... I would be a prime target". Did the "circumstance that the claims were not supported by objective country information" render them "insignificant so as to relieve the Minister of the obligation to consider them"? Should claims related to Australia's non-refoulement obligations have expressly referred to those obligations? Minister failed to assess non-refoulement claims on the basis that such claims would be considered if and when a protection visa application were. Was that a proper basis?

'it was legally unreasonable for the Tribunal to make its decision in this case without waiting for the Minister to make his decision on the nomination approval application, particularly... where the Minister had said about five weeks earlier that the application was progressing...'

Federal Court (Full Court). In deciding whether it was in the national interest to grant a visa, was the Minister obliged to take into account the legal consequences of his decision, "particularly when those consequences have implications not only for an applicant but also for the nation"? Is there a "necessary inconsistency between being satisfied that the appellant is not a danger to Australia’s security for the purpose of s 36(1C) and not being satisfied that it is in the national interest to grant him a SHEV for the purpose of Sch 2 cl 790.277"?

Federal Court. In determining under s 362B(1C)(a) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) whether it was "appropriate" to re-instate a Tribunal application dismissed for non-appearance at the hearing, were "the merits of the substantive application, and in circumstances where the application was dismissed for a failure to appear at a hearing, the explanation for it", relevant considerations?