Freckleton and Child Support Registrar (Child support)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) considered an application by Freckleton (the applicant) for an extension of time to lodge an objection against a decision of the Child Support Registrar. The Registrar had refused to grant the applicant an extension of time to object to an assessment of child support, and had also refused to credit certain non-agency payments made by the applicant. The applicant sought to have both of these decisions reviewed by the AAT.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether the Registrar's refusal to grant an extension of time to lodge an objection was justified. In determining this, the Tribunal was required to consider whether there was a reasonable explanation for the applicant's delay in lodging the objection and whether the objection, if permitted, would have a reasonable prospect of success. A secondary issue, though not explicitly detailed in the provided text, related to the refusal to credit non-agency payments, which would have been considered in the context of the objection's potential success.

The Tribunal affirmed the Registrar's decision, finding that the applicant had failed to provide a reasonable explanation for the significant delay in lodging the objection. Furthermore, the Tribunal concluded that there was little prospect of the objection succeeding on its merits. Consequently, the Tribunal determined that it was not in the interests of justice to grant the extension of time.

The Tribunal's decision was to affirm the decision under review, meaning the Registrar's refusal to grant an extension of time to object was upheld.