Bhatti and Child Support Registrar (Child support)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) considered the matter of Bhatti and the Child Support Registrar. The applicant, Mr Bhatti, sought an extension of time to lodge an objection against a decision made by the Child Support Registrar. The Registrar had refused to credit certain payments made directly to the payee, rather than through the agency, and had also refused to grant an extension of time for Mr Bhatti to object to this decision.

The Tribunal was required to determine whether to grant Mr Bhatti an extension of time to lodge his objection. This involved assessing whether there was a reasonable explanation for the delay in lodging the objection and whether the objection had arguable merit. The Tribunal also considered the Registrar's refusal to credit the non-agency payments, which formed the substance of the objection.

In its reasoning, the Tribunal applied the principles governing extensions of time for objections, requiring a demonstration of a reasonable explanation for the delay and that the objection had some prospects of success. The Tribunal found that Mr Bhatti had provided a reasonable explanation for his delay and that his objection had arguable merit, particularly concerning the non-agency payments. Consequently, the Tribunal determined that it was in the interests of justice to grant the extension of time.

The Tribunal set aside the Registrar's decision to refuse the extension of time and substituted its own decision, granting the extension. The matter was then remitted to the Child Support Registrar to consider Mr Bhatti's objection on its merits.