ATP15 & Anor v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection

ATP15 and another, both non-citizens, sought special leave to appeal to the High Court from a decision of the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia, which dismissed their application for judicial review of decisions of the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection to cancel their visas. The applicants claimed their visas were cancelled because of their association with a terrorist organisation, and sought a judicial review of the decision on the basis that the Minister did not have sufficient grounds to cancel their visas. The Full Court dismissed the application on the basis that the applicants had not demonstrated a reasonable apprehension of bias or that the decision-making process was flawed.

The legal issues before the High Court were whether the applicants had shown that the appeal had sufficient prospects of success and whether the appeal raised an issue of general importance. The applicants argued that the Full Court erred in its interpretation of the relevant statutory provisions and in its assessment of the evidence. They also argued that the decision-making process was flawed because it was based on secret or unreliable information.

The High Court found that the applicants had not shown that the appeal had sufficient prospects of success. The Court held that the Full Court's decision was correct and that there was no error in the interpretation of the statutory provisions or in the assessment of the evidence. The Court also found that the decision-making process was not flawed, and that the applicants' claims of bias and reliance on secret or unreliable information were not substantiated. The Court held that the appeal did not raise an issue of general importance and that special leave to appeal should be refused.

The High Court ordered that the application for special leave to appeal be dismissed with costs. The Court also directed the Registrar to draw up, sign and seal an order dismissing the application with costs. This decision confirms that judicial review of decisions to cancel visas on the basis of association with a terrorist organisation is subject to a high threshold, and that applicants must demonstrate a strong case for review in order to succeed.