In the Matter Of An Application BY Ms Monfort for Special Leave To Appeal

The matter involves an application by Ms Monfort for an extension of time to seek special leave to appeal against a judgment made by the Appellate Jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia on 8 March 2024. The judgment was delivered by Justices Aldridge, Austin, and Harper. Ms Monfort seeks to challenge the entirety of the decision through an application for special leave to appeal, but she has not yet met the necessary requirements to do so. The amended application for special leave to appeal has been deemed to have no prospects of success, which is a key consideration for the court in determining whether to grant the extension of time requested.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether Ms Monfort's amended application for special leave to appeal had any prospects of success. The court needed to determine if granting an extension of time would serve any useful purpose, given that the application itself was unlikely to succeed. The court also considered whether the extension of time would be in the interests of justice, given the futility of the application. Ultimately, the court was tasked with balancing the principles of justice and efficiency in the appellate process against the applicant's right to seek a review of the decision.

In its decision, the court found that the amended application for special leave to appeal had no prospects of success. The court concluded that the application was essentially futile, meaning that granting an extension of time would not serve any useful purpose. The court held that it would be inappropriate to grant the extension of time under these circumstances. Consequently, the application for special leave to appeal was refused. The court's decision emphasised the importance of ensuring that the appellate process remains efficient and that the court's resources are not wasted on applications that have no reasonable chance of success.