Douglas v Chief Executive, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation

Case [2011] QCAT 173


CITATION: Douglas v Chief Executive, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation [2011] QCAT 173
PARTIES: Mr Adam Brian Douglas
v
Chief Executive, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation
APPLICATION NUMBER:   GAR333-10  
MATTER TYPE: General administrative review matters
HEARING DATE:     16 February 2011
HEARD AT:  Brisbane
DECISION OF: Margaret McLennan, Member
DELIVERED ON: 16 February 2011
DELIVERED AT:      Brisbane

ORDERS MADE:

[1]     The Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation’s decision is confirmed.

[2]     The application is dismissed.

CATCHWORDS: 

Refusal of Security Officer and Crowd Controller licence – eligibility criteria – conviction of disqualifying offences

Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2009, s 72
Security Providers Act 1993, ss 11(2), 11(5), 14

APPEARANCES and REPRESENTATION (if any):

APPLICANT

No appearance

RESPONDENT:  Chief Executive, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation represented by Mr Peter Rashford

REASONS FOR DECISION

  1. Upon the applicant’s failure to appear at the compulsory conference, the applicant’s confirmation to the registry of receipt of the compulsory conference notification and the respondent’s consent, I make the following decision pursuant to section 72 of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2009.

  1. I am satisfied that the applicant was properly refused in accordance with section 14 of the Security Providers Act 1993 (“the Act”) his application for a Security Officer (Unarmed) and Crowd Controller licence on the grounds that he is not an appropriate person to hold a licence.

  1. The basis of the refusal is that the applicant was convicted of disqualifying offences within the preceding 10 years:

§Assaults occasioning bodily harm in company at the Brisbane District Court on 29 August 2002; and

§Enter dwelling with intent in the night in company with one or more persons at the Brisbane District Court on 29 August 2002.

  1. The offences are offences against sections 339 and 421 of Chapters 30 and 39 of the Criminal Code Queensland. These Chapters are listed in the Schedule to the Act and therefore are disqualifying offences.

  1. Section 11(2) of the Act provides the eligibility criteria for the grant of a licence and section 11(5) of the Act provides that a person is not an appropriate person to hold a licence if the person, within 10 years of applying for a licence, has been convicted of a disqualifying offence.

Details
AGLC
Douglas v Chief Executive, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation [2011] QCAT 173
Case
[2011] QCAT 173
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

Douglas sought judicial review of a decision by the Chief Executive of the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation to refuse his application for a Security Officer and Crowd Controller licence. The refusal was based on Douglas's prior convictions for offences that were considered disqualifying under the relevant legislation. The case was heard in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

The central legal issue was whether the Chief Executive's decision to refuse the licence application was lawful, focusing on whether Douglas's convictions indeed disqualified him from holding the licence. Douglas argued that the nature and recency of his convictions should not automatically disqualify him from obtaining the licence. The Tribunal examined the statutory criteria and the Chief Executive's discretion in assessing the application.

The Tribunal concluded that the Chief Executive's decision was lawful. It found that Douglas's convictions were of a disqualifying nature and sufficiently recent to warrant refusal of the licence. The Tribunal emphasised that the statutory criteria were to be strictly applied, and the Chief Executive had not acted beyond their powers in making the decision. Consequently, Douglas's application was dismissed, and the Department’s decision was upheld.

In addition to dismissing the application, the Tribunal confirmed the decision of the Chief Executive, leaving the refusal of the licence application intact. This means that Douglas remains ineligible to hold a Security Officer and Crowd Controller licence under the current statutory provisions.

Orders

Orders of the court

[1] The Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation’s decision is confirmed.

[2] The application is dismissed.

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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