Connelly and Comcare (Compensation)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) considered an application by Mr. Connelly for an extension of time to lodge an application for review of a decision made by Comcare. The dispute centred on whether it was reasonable in all the circumstances to grant this extension, given the significant delay in lodging the application.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether it was satisfied that it was reasonable to extend the time for Mr. Connelly to make an application for review of Comcare's decision dated 22 August 2019, pursuant to section 29(7) of the AAT Act. This required the Tribunal to consider the principles governing the grant of extensions of time, including the length of the delay, the explanation for the delay, the prospects of success of the proposed review, and any prejudice to the respondent.

The Tribunal noted that the applicant's involvement with Comcare spanned almost 16 years, indicating a substantial historical context to the matter. While the decision text provided does not detail the specific reasoning for the ultimate outcome, it references the established approach in *Negri v Secretary, Department of Social Services* (2016) 70 AAR 103. This approach requires decision-makers to provide written reasons that expose and explain their reasoning, including findings on material questions of fact and the evidence or material on which those findings were based, without introducing new or altered reasoning.

The Tribunal ultimately determined that an extension of time was not granted.