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Hasran v Minister for Immigration & Anor [2010] FMCA 31 (22 January 2010)
Federal Magistrates Court of Australia
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Hasran v Minister for Immigration & Anor [2010] FMCA 31 (22 January 2010)
Last Updated: 27 January 2010
FEDERAL MAGISTRATES COURT OF AUSTRALIA
HASRAN v MINISTER FOR
IMMIGRATION & ANOR
|
|
MIGRATION – Review of decision of Migration
Review Tribunal – effect of s.363A – whether Tribunal had discretion
to allow applicant to appear at hearing where s.369C(1) and (2) applied –
Sun and M followed – Tribunal did not have discretion
– whether Tribunal’s s.359A letter purported to deny opportunity to
provide material under s.358 – Tribunal’s letter read fairly –
Tribunal did not purport to deny opportunity under
s.358 – whether
Tribunal had discretion to allow extension of time to respond to s.359A letter
– Tribunal does not have
discretion to extend time where request made
after expiry of prescribed period – no jurisdictional error –
application
dismissed.
|
Migration Act 1958 (Cth), ss.116, 358, 359,
359A, 359B, 360, 363A, 379A, 379C, 494B
|
|
First Respondent:
|
MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION & CITIZENSHIP
|
|
Second Respondent:
|
MIGRATION REVIEW TRIBUNAL
|
REPRESENTATION
Appearing for the
Applicant:
|
Mr R C Turner
|
Solicitors for the Applicant:
|
Turner Coulson Immigration Lawyers
|
Counsel for the Respondents:
|
Mr T Reilly
|
Solicitors for the Respondents:
|
Australian Government Solicitor
|
ORDERS
(1) The application made on 11 September 2009 is
dismissed.
(2) The applicant pay the first respondent’s costs set in the amount of
$5,000.
FEDERAL MAGISTRATESCOURT OF AUSTRALIA
ATSYDNEY
|
SYG 2213 of 2009
Applicant
And
MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION &
CITIZENSHIP
|
First Respondent
MIGRATION REVIEW TRIBUNAL
|
Second Respondent
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT
- This
is an application made on 11 September 2009 under the Migration Act 1958
(Cth) (“the Act”), seeking review of the decision of the
Migration Review Tribunal (“the Tribunal”), made
on 12 August 2009,
which affirmed the decision of a delegate of the respondent Minster to cancel
the applicant’s Student (Temporary)
(Class TU) (Subclass 573 –
Higher Education Sector) visa.
Background
- With
reference to the Court Book (“CB”), the relevant background is as
follows.
- Mr
Hasran (“the applicant”) is a national of Malaysia. On
10 September 2008, he was granted a Student (Temporary) (Class
TU)
(Subclass 573 – Higher Education Sector) visa (“the visa”). On
1 May 2009, the University of Western Australia
(“the education
provider”) issued the applicant with a “Non-Compliance Notification
(NCN) Letter” (the “Section 20” notice – reproduced at
CB 1 to CB 7).
- On
27 May 2009 a delegate of the first respondent issued the applicant with a
Notice of Intention to Consider Cancellation of the
visa (CB 10 to
CB 13) on the grounds of a “possible breach” of s.116,
reg.2.43(2)(b) (Student Visa Condition 8202). He attended an interview with the
first respondent’s delegate on 3 June 2009.
On that same day, the delegate
cancelled the visa (CB 28).
- The
applicant applied for review to the Tribunal on
11 June 2009 (reproduced at CB 35 to CB 59, with
attachments). The Tribunal affirmed
the delegate’s decision to cancel the
visa. (The decision is record reproduced at CB 111 to
CB 123).
The Tribunal
- The
relevant background before the Tribunal is as follows.
- By
letter dated 16 July 2009, the Tribunal invited the applicant to comment on, or
respond to, certain information that it had received
from the education provider
going to the issue of his failure to achieve “satisfactory course
progress” (“the section 359A letter” – see CB 84 to
CB 85). It also invited him to comment on information that he had provided
a “supporting
statement” to the Minister’s department on 3
June 2009, in which he had provided reasons for his failure to achieve
satisfactory
course progress. (This statement is reproduced at CB 86.) The
applicant was given until 3 August 2009 within which to provide a response.
- On
4 August 2009, the Tribunal received, by facsimile transmission, a letter from
the applicant requesting an extension of time within
which to respond to the
section 359A letter. The applicant also telephoned the Tribunal on the same day
to the same effect (CB 108).
- By
letter dated 5 August 2009 the Tribunal wrote to the applicant, notifying him
that as his request for an extension of time fell
outside the time for making
such a request, it could not grant the extension of time, and that because of
his failure to respond
within time, the applicant was not entitled to appear at
a hearing before it.
- The
Tribunal proceeded to make a decision without inviting the applicant to appear
at a hearing before it. It noted in its “Findings
and Reasons”
(CB 121 at [30]):
- “...
As the applicant has failed to give the information requested before the time
for giving it has passed, subsections 359C(1) and (2) apply and the Tribunal may
make a decision on the review without taking any further action to obtain the
information. Further,
as subsection 359(2) applies to the applicant, subsection
360(3) sates that the applicant is not entitled to appear before the Tribunal.
Under section 363A the Tribunal does not have the power to permit a person to do
something he or she is not entitled to do, unless a provision expressly
provides
otherwise. Section 360 does not provide otherwise and as the applicant has
failed to give the information within the prescribed statutory period, the
Tribunal
will proceed to make a decision on the review without taking any
further action to obtain the information in accordance with section 359C of the
Act.”
- The
Tribunal found that the applicant had not achieved satisfactory course progress
because of the education provider’s certification
to this effect and that,
therefore, he had not complied with condition 8202 attaching to his visa. It
considered whether there were
any exceptional circumstances, but found that the
applicant’s claims did not fall within what was meant by this term, and
that,
in any event, the claims were not relevant to the period of the failure to
achieve satisfactory course progress. Accordingly, it
found that the failure to
comply with condition 8202 was a ground for cancellation within s.116(1)(b) of
the Act, and that no exceptional circumstances existed. In this regard, such
circumstances were found to be prescribed circumstances,
mandating cancellation
of the visa.
The Legislation
- The
relevant legislation is as follows.
- Section
358:
- “358
Documents to be given to the Tribunal
- (1) An
applicant for review by the Tribunal may give the Tribunal:
- (a) a
written statement in relation to any matter of fact that the applicant wishes
the Tribunal to consider; and
- (b) written
arguments relating to the issues arising in relation to the decision under
review.
- (2) The
Secretary may give the Tribunal written argument relating to the issues arising
in relation to the decision under review.”
- Section
359:
- “359
Tribunal may seek information
- (1) In
conducting the review, the Tribunal may get any information that it considers
relevant. However, if the Tribunal gets such
information, the Tribunal must have
regard to that information in making the decision on the review.
- (2) Without
limiting subsection (1), the Tribunal may invite, either orally (including by
telephone) or in writing, a person to
give information.
- (3) If a
written invitation under subsection (2) is given to a person other than the
Secretary, the invitation must be given:
- (a) except
where paragraph (b) applies—by one of the methods specified in section
379A; or
- (b) if the
invitation is given to a person in immigration detention—by a method
prescribed for the purposes of giving documents
to such a person.
- (4) If an
invitation is given to the Secretary, the invitation must be given by one of the
methods specified in section 379B.”
- Section
359C:
- “359C
Failure to give information, comments or response in response to written
invitation
- (1) If a
person:
- (a) is
invited in writing under section 359 to give information; and
- (b) does
not give the information before the time for giving it has passed;
- the
Tribunal may make a decision on the review without taking any further action to
obtain the information.
- (2) If the
applicant:
- (a) is
invited under section 359A to comment on or respond to information; and
- (b) does
not give the comments or the response before the time for giving them has
passed;
- the
Tribunal may make a decision on the review without taking any further action to
obtain the applicant’s views on the information.”
- Section
360:
- “360
Tribunal must invite applicant to appear
- (1) The
Tribunal must invite the applicant to appear before the Tribunal to give
evidence and present arguments relating to the
issues arising in relation to the
decision under review.
- (2) Subsection
(1) does not apply if:
- (a) the
Tribunal considers that it should decide the review in the applicant’s
favour on the basis of the material before
it; or
- (b) the
applicant consents to the Tribunal deciding the review without the applicant
appearing before it; or
- (c) subsection
359C(1) or (2) applies to the applicant.
- (3) If any
of the paragraphs in subsection (2) of this section apply, the applicant is not
entitled to appear before the Tribunal.”
- Section
363A:
- “363A
Tribunal does not have power to permit a person to do something he or she is not
entitled to do
- If a
provision of this Part states that a person is not entitled to do something, or
to be assisted or represented by another person,
then, unless a provision
expressly provides otherwise, the Tribunal does not have power to permit the
person to do that thing, or
to be assisted or represented by another
person.”
Before the Court
- Before
the Court, the applicant was represented by Mr R C Turner.
- Mr
T Reilly of counsel appeared for the respondent Minister.
- The
applicant was granted leave to file an amended application in Court. No
objection was taken by the respondent. The grounds are
in the following terms:
- “1.
The Tribunal misapplied the provisions of the Migration Act 1958 ss. 359(C)(1)
and (2), 360 and 363A and, therefore, failed to carry out its statutory duty.
- 2. The
Tribunal, at paragraph 30, found that it was compelled to proceed to a decision
without a hearing. In so doing the Tribunal
misapplied the provision of s. 359C,
360 and 363A.
- 3. While
the Tribunal correctly referred to the provisions contained in s. 363A
“... unless a provision expressly provides otherwise” it confined
its search for such provision to s. 360. By so doing, the Tribunal ignored the
discretions contained in s. 359C which are a provision expressly providing
otherwise as envisaged by s. 363A.
- The
Tribunal, therefore, continued to have a discretion under s. 359C(2) to invite
the Applicant to a hearing.
- By failing
to exercise the discretion contained in s. 359C(2) the Tribunal failed to carry
out its statutory duty.
- 2. The
Tribunal denied the Applicant procedural
fairness.”
[Particulars omitted.]
- Grounds
two and three appear to relate to the same issue as ground one. That is, that
the Tribunal misapplied ss.359C(1) and (2), 360, and 363A, and thereby failed to
carry out its statutory duty.
- The
“second” ground two asserts that the Tribunal denied the applicant
procedural fairness because it denied the applicant
the opportunity pursuant to
s.358 of the Act to provide further documents to the Tribunal.
The Sections 359C, 360, and 363A Issue
- I
understood the applicant’s argument to be:
- Section
360(1) provides that the Tribunal must invite the applicant to a hearing to give
evidence and make arguments.
- Section
360(1) does not apply if s.359C(1) and (2) applies to the applicant.
- Section
359C(1) and (2) provide that if a person is invited under s.359 to give
information, or invited under s.359A to comment on information, and the
applicant does not do so before the time for responding has passed, then the
Tribunal, in either
case, may proceed to make a decision on the review without
taking further action to obtain the information, or the comments on the
information.
- In
the current case, the Tribunal wrote to the applicant by letter dated 16 July
2009 and sent pursuant to s.359A (“the s.359A letter”), inviting him
to comment on certain information. He was invited to do so by 3 August
2009.
- The
applicant did not provide his comments by that time.
- The
Tribunal found that as the time for the giving of the information had passed,
s.359C(1) and (2) applied.
- It
further found that as s.359C(2) applied to the applicant, because of s.360(3),
the applicant was not entitled to appear at a hearing before the Tribunal.
- It
relied on s.363A to find that the Tribunal did not have the power to permit a
person to do something that he or she is not entitled to do.
-
It concluded that as s.360 does not provide otherwise, the applicant lost his
entitlement to a hearing when he failed to provide his comments to the s.359A
letter within the time given.
- Section
363A provides that the Tribunal has no power to permit a person (relevantly,
here, the applicant) to do something that they are not entitled
to do, except if
some provision of the Act “expressly provides otherwise”.
-
Relevant to the current circumstances of this case, s.359C(2) “otherwise
provides” as allowed in s.363A (“... the Tribunal may ...”).
-
The entitlement to a hearing therefore continued until the Tribunal made its
decision.
- The
applicant referred to Full Federal Court authority, Uddin v Minister for
Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs [2005] FCAFC 218;
(2005) 149 FCR 1 (“Uddin”) at [61]:
- “61
We accept that the Tribunal was free, had it wished to do so, to accord the
appellant an oral hearing ...”
- The
applicant relied on Uddin, therefore, to argue that the Tribunal had the
discretion to provide the applicant with a hearing. Its finding that it did not
have
such a discretion, and its failure to consider this, was a misapplication
of the relevant provisions of the Act.
- Mr
Reilly’s response to this ground was to refer the Court to Minister for
Immigration and Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs v Jing Shan Sun
[2005] FCAFC 201; (2005) 146 FCR 498 (“Sun”), a later
Full Court authority to Uddin, and to M v Minister for Immigration
& Multicultural Affairs [2006] FCA 1247 (“M”).
His submission was that the law was clear and that, notwithstanding what the
applicant sought to draw from Uddin, Sun was later Full Court
authority, and as such, is clearly binding on this Court. That while M
was the judgment of a single judge sitting in the Federal Court’s original
jurisdiction, it should be followed.
- In
relation to this latter point, I note what was said in Minister for
Immigration & Multicultural And Indigenous Affairs v SZANS [2005] FCAFC
41 at [35] - [39], SZGME v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
[2008] FCAFC 91 at [42] and, although obiter, what was directly relevant in
Suh v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2009] FCAFC 42 at
[29]:
- “29
The Federal Magistrate thought that the decision in Kim should be followed in
preference to that in Tvarkovski because
Lander J was ‘sitting as the Full
Court of the Federal Court on appeal from [the FMCA]’. There is no tension
between
Tvarkovski and Kim and it was therefore not necessary to approach the
matter that way. Furthermore in Kim, although Lander J was
exercising the
appellate jurisdiction of the Court, he was sitting as a single judge and not as
the Full Court (see Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth), s 25(1AA)). The
Federal Magistrate was correct to regard herself as bound by Kim. That would be
so whether it was a judgment of a single judge
or a Full Court. However, we wish
to enter a general caveat against any notion that the authority of judgments of
single judges of
the Court waxes and wanes according to whether they are sitting
as single judges in the Court’s appellate jurisdiction or in
the
Court’s original jurisdiction and, if the former, on appeal from any
particular court or judicial officer. The matter was
not the subject of argument
and we will, accordingly, do no more than register our concern that the true
position may have been misunderstood.”
- In
dealing with the applicant’s ground, I agree with Mr Reilly that
Sun and M provide a complete answer to the applicant.
- In
Sun the Full Court dealt with the effectiveness of a number of
invitations given by the Tribunal in that case pursuant to ss.359 and
359A.
Relevant to the current matter, the Court said (at [49] to
[50]):
- “49
Indeed, the Tribunal may be obliged to give two or more notices under s 359A of
the Act. It is not uncommon for information
which would be the reason or part of
the reason for affirming the decision under review to emerge at different times,
and from different
sources. The circumstances addressed by the High Court in
SAAP (in respect of the similar provisions of the Act as they apply to
the
Refugee Review Tribunal) provide an illustration. The need to give a second or
subsequent notice under s 359A would not however
remove from a visa applicant
the status of being a person to whom s 359C(2) applies, if the visa applicant
had failed to respond
to an earlier notice under s 359A or had done so outside
the prescribed time.
- 50 Section
363A would not prevent the Tribunal from acting in that way. It says the
Tribunal does not have power to permit a visa
applicant to do a thing in
relation to a review if the visa applicant is, by a provision in Pt 5, not
entitled to do that thing. Section 360(3) disentitles a visa applicant from
appearing before the Tribunal if any of the circumstances
in s 360(2) apply,
relevantly here if s 359C(2) applies to the first respondent. Consequently, s
363A would appear to disempower
the Tribunal from allowing the first respondent
to appear before the Tribunal in the present circumstances
...”
- In
M the Federal Court directly considered the effect of s.363A. The Court
held that s.363A appeared to remove any discretion that the
Tribunal might have
had to conduct a hearing ([39] - [49]).
- The
Court in that case considered ss. 359, 359C(1), 360(2)(c), and 360(3) (at [39])
in the context where the Tribunal held that the:
“... applicant was not
entitled to appear before it and pursuant to s.363A cannot be permitted to do
so” ([40]). That
is, the same circumstances as the current case.
- The
issue for consideration in M was the effect of s.363A ([41]).
- The
Court in M reviewed relevant authorities, including Uddin at that
part relied on by the applicant now (at [42]), and noted that the Full Court in
Uddin had not been referred to s.363A (at [43]). The Court referred to
Sun (particularly as set out above) and noted that in that case:
“...the effect of s 363A of the Act was dealt with” (at
[45]).
- The
Court in M also considered the Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the
Bill which introduced s.363A to the Act in 1995 (Migration Legislation
Amendment Bill (No 5) 1994 (Cth) – [45]) and concluded (at [46]):
- “46
In my view s 363A of the Act has the effect contended for by the Minister.
Section 360(3) of the Act provides that a consequence
of an applicant failing to
provide information to the Tribunal in a timely way following an invitation to
do so is that the applicant
ceases to have an entitlement to appear before the
Tribunal. Section 363A of the Act operates to remove any residual discretion the
Tribunal may have had to permit an applicant to appear notwithstanding his or
her loss of an entitlement to do so. The language of
the section is clear. The
construction which I have placed upon it is consistent with the observation of
the Full Court in Sun and
the terms of the explanatory memorandum. To the extent
that the dictum in Sun may be said to be inconsistent with that of the Full
Court in Uddin the differences are relevantly explicable by the absence of any
reference to s 363A of the Act in the joint reasons
in the latter
case.”
- Given
the above, the applicant’s first ground, as it must be said was ultimately
and fairly acknowledged by Mr Turner before
the Court, is not made out.
The Procedural Fairness Issue
- The
applicant’s second ground asserts a denial of procedural fairness which
the Tribunal was obliged to provide to the applicant
pursuant to s.358 of the
Act.
- The
applicant’s complaint derives from the Tribunal’s refusal to extend
the time by which the applicant could respond
to the s.359A letter. The relevant
factual basis is as follows:
- By
letter dated 5 June 2009 the Tribunal sent, pursuant to s.359A, a letter to the
applicant seeking his comments on certain information
(CB 84 to
CB 85).
- The
applicant was given until 3 August 2009 to provide a response. He was advised
that he may seek, in writing, an extension of time
within which to give his
comments, but that any such request must be received by the Tribunal by 3 August
2009 (CB 85.6).
- The
applicant telephoned the Tribunal and spoke to a Tribunal officer on 4 August
2009. He asked for an extension of time. He was
told that such a request must be
made in writing (CB 107).
- The
applicant sent by facsimile transmission such a written request on 4 August 2009
(CB 108). (He claimed to have “... lost
the key” to his
“mailbox” while he was “away ...”)
- The
Tribunal responded by letter dated 5 August 2009 (CB 109). The relevant
parts of its letter are as follows:
- “I am
writing to advise you that unfortunately because your request for an extension
was received after the due date the Tribunal
is unable to provide an extension
of time.
- In
accordance with the letter dated 16 July from the Tribunal you have now lost any
right you may have had under the Migration Act, to appear before the Tribunal to
given evidence and present arguments.
- Accordingly,
the Tribunal will now make a decision based on the material before
it.”
- Mr
Turner argued that s.359 contains an entitlement to provide information (written
statements and written arguments) to the Tribunal.
- The
crux of the applicant’s case was that the terms of the Tribunal’s
response to the request for an extension of time
(see [34] at item 5 above),
indicated to the applicant (“unable to provide an extension of time”
and “... the Tribunal
will now make a decision based on the material
before it”) that he could not put any further information to the Tribunal.
The
argument was that this was contrary to the provision in s.358.
- The
applicant’s attack posits two areas of error made by the Tribunal, both of
which are said to be discerned from the Tribunal’s
letter of
5 August 2009. (See CB 109. See also [34] at item 5 above.)
- The
first is that the Tribunal did have the power to grant the applicant an
extension of time within which to respond to the matters
raised in its s.359A
letter. The applicant relies on Sun for that proposition. He argues that
by the relevant terms of its letter the Tribunal did not understand that it had
discretion in
this matter (“... the Tribunal is unable to provide an
extension of time”).
- The
second source of error is said to be that the applicant had the opportunity
pursuant to s.358 of the Act to provide his comments, or indeed any other
written statement, or written argument right up until the time of the
Tribunal’s
decision. Mr Turner’s submission was that, again, by the
terms of its letter, the Tribunal purported to deny the applicant
that
opportunity.
- In
all, therefore, the applicant’s argument is that even if the applicant
lost the opportunity to attend at a hearing (ground
one), he did not lose the
opportunity to put written material before the Tribunal (s.358). Further, the
Tribunal should not have considered that it did not have the discretion to
extend the time to respond to the s.359A letter.
- In
relation to the latter, Mr Turner relied on the remainder of the paragraph
extracted from Sun at [50] (see [26] above):
- “But
there is no provision disentitling the visa applicant from providing such
information to the Tribunal as that visa applicant
considers to be pertinent.
And notwithstanding that s 359C(2) applies to that visa applicant, such
information may include information provided belatedly pertaining to information
referred to
in an invitation under s 359A
...”
The Respondent’s Submissions
- In
reply, Mr Reilly relied on M at [52]:
- “52
In any event, it may be doubted that there was scope for the Tribunal, even if
it had been minded to do so, to extend time
to comply with the request made on
28 February 2005, after the period stipulated for compliance in that letter had
passed. Section 359B(4) of the Act is cast in the present tense (‘If a
person is to respond ...’ and ‘the response is to be made
...’).
This, as the Full Court noted in Sun (at 509-510) suggests that any
application for an enlargement of time must be made while the
time stipulated in
the original letter of request is still running. The Full Court did not find it
necessary to determine the question
(see at 510) but, in Usman v Minister for
Immigration and Multicultural Affairs [2005] FMCA 966 at [44], Pascoe CFM held
that the power granted by s 359B(4) of the Act could only be exercised within
the period allowed when the original request was made. Had it been necessary to
do so I
would have held that the Tribunal could not have enlarged time pursuant
to s 359B(4) of the Act after, at the latest, 6 April
2005.”
- The
submission was that the current case involved an invitation to comment pursuant
to s.359A, and that the Tribunal certainly does have the power to extend the
time within which the comments can be provided, pursuant to s.494B(4). But that
in the current case the request for an extension of time was received out of
time. That is, after the expiry of the period
provided. Notwithstanding that in
M Tracey J did not have to consider that point to resolve the case before
him, his Honour commented that if it had been necessary,
he would have held
that the Tribunal would not have discretion to extend the time for the making of
the comments, where a request
to do so was presented after the expiry of the
prescribed period set out initially in the s.359A letter.
- Mr
Reilly also submitted that in the current case it was important to distinguish
between the situation where there has been a request
to extend time in relation
to a s.359A letter, and the situation where an applicant may, in any event,
provide written information pursuant to s.358.
- The
respondent’s position was that in Sun the Tribunal had sent a
s.359A letter, and no response within time was made. The Tribunal then sent
another letter with particular wording, which was found by a
Federal Magistrate
to constitute an extension of time pursuant to s.359B(4), and in those
circumstances, found that the right to a hearing had not been lost.
- On
appeal the Full Court found that the right to a hearing in that case had been
lost, but that the Tribunal still had a general discretion
to consider any
material put to it by an applicant up to the time of the making of its decision.
- The
issue in the current case, therefore, is to be resolved by a fair reading of the
Tribunal’s letter of 5 August 2009. Although
contending for a different
reading, Mr Turner agreed that a fair reading of the Tribunal’s letter
will provide the solution
to this case.
Consideration
- The
Tribunal’s letter of invitation to comment on, or respond to, certain
information was dated 16 July 2009 (CB 84 to CB 85).
Given the specific
reference to s.359A in the letter, it is clear that the Tribunal was proceeding
pursuant to this section of the Act. The applicant was given until 3
August
2009 to provide his comments or response (CB 85.6). He was advised that he
could request an extension of this time, but that
any such request must be
received by the Tribunal by 3 August 2009 (CB 84.7). The Tribunal
advised that it would consider any such
request made within this time
(CB 85.7).
- The
letter put the applicant on notice that if the comments were not received within
the period allowed, or as extended, the Tribunal
may make a decision without
taking any further action. The letter specifically noted that in those
circumstances the applicant would
lose any entitlement to a hearing
(CB 85.8).
- On
the best evidence available to the Court, the letter was sent to the applicant
at the last address nominated by the applicant for
this purpose. (See
CB 29.9 and CB 84.2.) It was also sent to his residential address
(CB 36.1). It was sent by registered post (CB
84.2).
- On
the best evidence available (and there was no contention by the applicant to the
contrary) the letter was sent by one of the methods
by which such a letter could
be dispatched. That is, by prepaid post, within three days of its date to the
last address provided
by the applicant for this purpose, which was also his
residential address (s.379A(4)).
- By
virtue of s.379C(4) the applicant is taken to have received the letter within
seven working days of its date, given that it was sent from an address
within
Australia to another address within Australia.
- Section
359B sets out certain requirements relating to invitations sent out by the
Tribunal, relevantly, pursuant to s.359A. Section 359B(2) provides that the
comments in response to the invitation must be made within the period specified
in the invitation, and that this
must be (where there is a prescribed period)
the prescribed period.
- The
decision which was the subject of review before the Tribunal was a decision to
cancel the applicant’s student visa. In these
circumstances, the
prescribed period is to be found in reg.4.17(3). That is, the prescribed period
starts when the applicant received
the invitation, and ends five working days
after the date on which it was received.
- In
the current case, therefore, the period by which the applicant is taken to have
received the invitation is seven working days from
its date, and the prescribed
period ends five working days after the date on which it was received.
- The
time provided by the Tribunal in its letter of invitation, therefore, complied
with these requirements.
- There
was no dispute between the parties that the opportunity available to the
applicant to put before the Tribunal any written material
continued up until the
date of its decision.
- The
issue is whether the language of the Tribunal’s letter of
5 August 2009 (CB 109) purported to deny the applicant that
opportunity.
- In
my view, any plain (let alone fair) reading of the Tribunal’s letter,
particularly if read in context with the invitation
letter itself, and the
applicant’s letter of 4 August 2009 (CB 108), reveals that it did not
do so.
- The
Tribunal’s letter of invitation was sent pursuant to s.359A. It clearly
sought to draw comment on, or response to, specific information which the
Tribunal considered would be the reason, or
a part of the reason, for affirming
the decision under review. The time limit by which the applicant was to provide
his comments
was 3 August 2009. Any plain reading of that letter of
invitation reveals that the time limit was imposed in relation to his providing
comments specifically in relation to the information, reference to which was
made in the letter, and the attachments to the letter.
- The
applicant’s request for an extension of time was dated, and received by
the Tribunal on, 4 August 2009, the day after the
time by which the comments
were to have been received.
- Importantly,
for current purposes, the applicant’s request for an extension of time was
clearly so that he could: “...
respond to the invitation sent by the ...
Tribunal.” Further, he emphasised that he hoped that the Tribunal:
“... would
grant an extension to allow me to prepare a response to the
invitation” (CB 108).
- The
Tribunal’s letter of 5 August 2009 (CB 109) needs to be read in that
context. When the Tribunal said it was “... unable
to provide an extension
of time” it was clearly said in response to the applicant’s request
for an extension of time
to respond to the invitation to comment on the
information in the s.359A letter.
- There
is nothing in this language, particularly when properly read in context, to
suggest that the Tribunal was seeking to exclude
any opportunity that the
applicant may otherwise have had pursuant to s.358 to provide a written
statement or any arguments “... in relation to any matter ...” and
“... in relation to the
issues ...” (s.358(1)(a) and (b)).
- The
Tribunal and, given the applicant’s own letter, the applicant were clearly
focussed on the opportunity pursuant to s.359A.
- Nor,
in the same light, do I see that the Tribunal’s words (“...
Accordingly, the Tribunal will now make a decision based
on the material before
it ...”) sought to convey to the applicant that the Tribunal would not
consider anything else that the
applicant may choose to put before it.
- In
my view, Mr Reilly was correct to submit that the letter “says what it
says”. That is, in relation to the opportunity
to comment on the
information in the s.359A letter, no extension of time could be granted. In
context, the words following, that it would proceed to a decision on the
material
before it, were reflective of a situation that the applicant had only
sought more time to give his comments in relation to the information
in the
Tribunal’s first letter. There is nothing in the applicant’s letter
to show that he sought an opportunity to put
any other matter, or indeed that he
had any other matter that he wished to put, before the Tribunal.
- The
limb of the applicant’s complaint that relies on s.358, therefore, is not
made out.
- The
other limb is also not made out. The applicant argues that the Tribunal’s
discretion to extend the time to respond to the
s.359A letter, and its language
was such as to deny that discretion.
- Mr
Turner relied on Sun to argue that even if in the circumstances s.360(3)
disentitles the applicant from appearing at a hearing, given that s.363A
ultimately would disempower the Tribunal from allowing him to appear, there is,
on the authority of Sun (at [50]), no provision disentitling him from
providing any information that he considers pertinent.
- Mr
Reilly submitted that the Court should follow M at [52] for the
proposition that the Tribunal did not have a discretion in the circumstances. Mr
Turner submitted that M was “not technically binding” on this
Court.
- I
am clearly mindful of relevant authorities as cited above (at [24]). The
applicant relies on Full Federal Court authority binding
on this Court. The
respondent relies on a subsequent single judge authority, whose judgment
(according to Suh at [29]) should not be seen as “waning”
because he was not sitting as a single judge in the appellate jurisdiction of
the Federal Court.
- Happily,
I do not need to enter into this area of consideration. At the very least, even
if what was said was obiter, I follow what
was said by Tracey J in M
because what is said in M at [52] is the only statement by a Federal
Court judge put before me by the parties which goes directly to the factual
issue in the
current matter and is directly on point.
- As
Mr Reilly, in my view, correctly submitted, what was said in Sun relates
generally to the Tribunal’s discretion to consider material put to it at
any time up to the making of its decision,
and the discretion to invite the
applicant to provide further information. These discretions certainly exist.
Remembering also that
the circumstances before the Court in Sun involved
a number of invitations given to the applicant, in that case, pursuant to s.359
and s.359A.
- What
was said in M, however, is directly relevant and focussed on a similar
set of circumstances as in the current case.
- Here,
there was only one invitation to comment on certain information. The applicant
sought an extension of the time allowed, but
only did so after the time for the
making of the comments had expired. The applicant argues that the Tribunal
should not have said
that it was “unable” to give the extension of
time. That is, that it should have considered whether the extension was
warranted in the circumstances.
- The
Court in Sun raised the question underpinning the applicant’s
complaint (at [51]):
- “That
suggests that s 359B(4) is intended to give the Tribunal a general discretion to
extend the time to respond to an invitation under s 359A even though the initial
prescribed time has expired. Nonetheless, there are some textual indications
pointing to the opposite conclusion,
including the present tense used in s
359B(4).”
- The
Court went on to say (at [52]):
- “52
However, in view of our findings ... it is unnecessary to determine the question
of whether the Tribunal has a power to
extend the time under s 359B(4) of the
Act even after the initial prescribed period has expired
...”
- Whatever
else therefore may have been said, or even suggested, in Sun, the Court
in that case did not consider the question that is directly relevant to the
factual circumstances in the current case.
- The
Court in M did. Even though its comments were said to be obiter, they
should be followed by this Court in the current case for that reason.
- I
note also that such an approach is consistent with what was held, directly on
this point, by the Chief Federal Magistrate in Usman & Anor v Minister
for Immigration [2005] FMCA 966 (“Usman”) at [44]. The
Court in that case held that the power in s.359B(4) to extend the time for the
giving of comments in response to an invitation, relevantly under s.359A, could
only be exercised within the period given in the invitation to comment.
- Having
regard to the reasoning in Usman, I follow what was said, at the very
least, as a matter of comity, and given that I cannot see that it is plainly
wrong.
- The
Tribunal’s relevant language in its letter of 5 August 2009 was consistent
with this view of the meaning and effect of s.359B(4) in the circumstances of
what was before it.
- What
the Tribunal plainly told the applicant was that (CB 109.4):
- “...
because your request for an extension was received after the due date the
Tribunal is unable to provide an extension of
time.”
- This,
in my view, reflects the preferred view of s.359A(4) that there is no discretion
in circumstances where the request for the extension of time to comment on
certain, and specific, information
was made after the expiry of the prescribed
period as stated in the letter of invitation.
Conclusion
- With
the benefit of legal assistance, the applicant has, in effect, put two grounds
before the Court. Neither of the grounds, nor
the various elements in the
grounds, reveal jurisdictional error on the part of the Tribunal. This
application, therefore, is dismissed.
I certify that the
preceding eighty-six (86) paragraphs are a true copy of the reasons for judgment
of Nicholls FM
Associate: C Darcy
Date: 22 January 2010
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