Atkinson on behalf of the Gunai/Kurnai People v State of Victoria (No 5)

Case [2010] FCA 1035


FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Atkinson on behalf of the Gunai/Kurnai People v State of Victoria (No 5) [2010] FCA  1035

Citation: Atkinson on behalf of the Gunai/Kurnai People v State of Victoria (No 5) [2010] FCA 1035
Parties: GUNAI/KURNAI PEOPLES' NATIVE TITLE DETERMINATION APPLICATION #2 v STATE OF VICTORIA and ORS
File number: VID 482 of 2009
Judge: NORTH J
Date of judgment: 16 September 2010
Legislation: Native Title Act 1993 (Cth)
Date of hearing: 16 September 2010
Date of last submissions: 16 September 2010
Place: Melbourne
Division: GENERAL DIVISION
Category: No Catchwords
Number of paragraphs: 6
Counsel for the Applicant: Mr T. Keely
Solicitor for the Applicant: Native Title Services Victoria
Solicitor for the Applicant for Joinder: Mr A. J. Macken
Counsel for the First Respondent: Mr A.C. Neal SC
Solicitor for the First Respondent: Victorian Government Solicitor

IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

VICTORIA DISTRICT REGISTRY

GENERAL DIVISION

VID 482 of 2009

BETWEEN:

GUNAI/KURNAI PEOPLES' NATIVE TITLE DETERMINATION APPLICATION #2
Applicant

AND:

STATE OF VICTORIA and ORS
Respondents

JUDGE:

NORTH J

DATE OF ORDER:

16 SEPTEMBER 2010

WHERE MADE:

MELBOURNE

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1.The application by the Sporting Shooters Association to be made a respondent to this proceeding pursuant to s 84 of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) is dismissed.

Note:Settlement and entry of orders is dealt with in Order 36 of the Federal Court Rules.
The text of entered orders can be located using Federal Law Search on the Court’s website.


IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

VICTORIA DISTRICT REGISTRY

GENERAL DIVISION

VID 482 of 2009

BETWEEN:

GUNAI/KURNAI PEOPLES' NATIVE TITLE DETERMINATION APPLICATION #2
Applicant

AND:

STATE OF VICTORIA and ORS
Respondents

JUDGE:

NORTH J

DATE:

16 SEPTEMBER 2010

PLACE:

MELBOURNE

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

  1. Before the Court is an application under s 84(5) of the Native Title Act1993 (Cth) by the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia to be joined as a respondent to this application for a determination of native title.

  2. Section 84(5) provides that:

    (5)  The Federal Court may at any time join any person as a party to the proceedings, if the Court is satisfied that the person's interests may be affected by a determination in the proceedings and it is in the interests of justice to do so.

  3. The details of the applicant’s interest are stated in its Form 5 Application dated 24 June 2010. It states as follows:

    We are local landowners and are developing a facility that relies on access to the areas under claim. A Native Title Determination will have a significant affect on our activities.

  4. On 16 August 2010, the applicant appeared in Court and requested an adjournment of the application to provide additional time for the filing of evidence. That adjournment was granted until today.

  5. By letter dated 16 September 2010, the Court was informed that the applicant no longer wished to pursue its application for joinder.

  6. Consequently, the application is dismissed.

I certify that the preceding six (6) numbered paragraphs are a true copy of the Reasons for Judgment herein of the Honourable Justice North.

Associate:

Dated:        30 September 2010

Details
AGLC
Atkinson on behalf of the Gunai/Kurnai People v State of Victoria (No 5) [2010] FCA 1035
Case
[2010] FCA 1035
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

Atkinson, on behalf of the Gunai/Kurnai People, sought to challenge the State of Victoria in a case that involved the recognition and protection of native title rights. The dispute arose from the Gunai/Kurnai People's claim for recognition of their native title rights over certain land in Victoria. The case was heard in the Federal Court of Australia. The Sporting Shooters Association sought to be included as a party to the proceedings, arguing that it had a significant interest in the outcome due to its membership's engagement in recreational shooting activities that might be affected by the recognition of native title.

The primary legal issues before the court were whether the Sporting Shooters Association had standing to be made a party to the proceedings under section 84 of the Native Title Act 1993, and whether their interest in recreational shooting activities was sufficiently connected to the native title claim to warrant their inclusion. The court needed to determine if the association's interests were relevant enough to the issues at hand to justify their participation in the case. The court examined the association's submissions and the potential implications of allowing the association to join the proceedings, including the impact on the efficiency and fairness of the litigation process.

The court found that the Sporting Shooters Association did not have sufficient standing to be included as a party in the proceedings. The association's interest in recreational shooting activities did not directly relate to the substantive issues of native title recognition and protection being contested. The court concluded that the association's inclusion would not significantly affect the outcome of the case and could potentially complicate the proceedings without adding substantial value. Consequently, the application by the Sporting Shooters Association to be made a respondent was dismissed.

Orders

Orders of the court

1. The application by the Sporting Shooters Association to be made a respondent to this proceeding pursuant to s 84 of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) is dismissed.

Note:

Background

Background to the litigation

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Evidence

Evidence Before The Court

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Decision

Reasons for decision

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Ratio Decidendi

Legal Principle Established

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