Anderson and Minister for Home Affairs (Citizenship)

This matter concerned an application for Australian citizenship by descent made by Mr Robert Peter Anderson. The Minister for Home Affairs had refused to approve Mr Anderson's application, leading to the matter being brought before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The central dispute revolved around whether Mr Anderson met the character requirements for Australian citizenship.

The Tribunal was required to determine whether Mr Anderson was of good character at the time of the Tribunal's decision, as stipulated by section 16(2)(c) of the *Citizenship Act*. This involved assessing various aspects of Mr Anderson's past, including his birth and adoption circumstances, his criminal convictions in New Zealand, and his subsequent relocation to Australia.

Professor R McCallum AO, Member of the Tribunal, considered the oral and documentary evidence presented. The Tribunal noted that Mr Anderson was born in New Zealand to an Australian citizen mother and an Australian citizen father, but was adopted by New Zealand parents. He later learned of his biological parents and relocated to Australia. The Tribunal acknowledged that the assessment of good character is an ongoing task, requiring satisfaction at the time of the decision. The Tribunal's reasoning and final orders are not fully detailed in the provided text, but the case was remitted for further consideration.