Le v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship

Case [2010] FCA 1260


FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Le v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2010] FCA 1260

Citation: Le v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2010] FCA 1260
Appeal from: Le v Minister for Immigration & Anor [2010] FMCA 648
Parties: VIET HA LE v MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP and MIGRATION REVIEW TRIBUNAL
File number: VID 736 of 2010
Judge: MARSHALL J
Date of judgment: 17 November 2010
Cases cited: Ong v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2010] FCA 1259
Date of hearing: 17 November 2010
Place: Melbourne
Division: GENERAL DIVISION
Category: No catchwords
Number of paragraphs: 4
The Appellant appeared in person, assisted by Mr Ong
Counsel for the First Respondent: Ms Catherine L Symons
Solicitor for the First Respondent: DLA Phillips Fox

IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

VICTORIA DISTRICT REGISTRY

GENERAL DIVISION

VID 736 of 2010

ON APPEAL FROM THE FEDERAL MAGISTRATES COURT OF AUSTRALIA
BETWEEN:

VIET HA LE
Appellant

AND:

MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP
First Respondent

MIGRATION REVIEW TRIBUNAL
Second Respondent

JUDGE:

MARSHALL J

DATE OF ORDER:

17 NOVEMBER 2010

WHERE MADE:

MELBOURNE

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1.Leave is given to extend the time within which to serve the notice of appeal, to 26 August 2011.

2.The appeal is dismissed.

3.The appellant pay the first respondent’s costs of the appeal, to be taxed in default of agreement.

Note:Settlement and entry of orders is dealt with in Order 36 of the Federal Court Rules.
The text of entered orders can be located using Federal Law Search on the Court’s website.

IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

VICTORIA DISTRICT REGISTRY

GENERAL DIVISION

VID 736 of 2010

ON APPEAL FROM THE FEDERAL MAGISTRATES COURT OF AUSTRALIA
BETWEEN:

VIET HA LE
Appellant

AND:

MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP
First Respondent

MIGRATION REVIEW TRIBUNAL
Second Respondent

JUDGE:

MARSHALL J

DATE:

17 NOVEMBER 2010

PLACE:

MELBOURNE

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

  1. The issues which arise in this matter are materially identical to the issues addressed in Ong v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2010] FCA 1259 which was heard and determined immediately prior to the hearing in this matter.

  2. For the reasons given in Ong the same orders will be made in this matter as in Ong.

  3. The factual circumstances relevant to this matter do not vary from those in Ong in any relevant respect. The Tribunal officer who refused the fee waiver application considered the material placed before him by the appellant but declined to grant that application.

  4. The Tribunal determined correctly that it had no jurisdiction to entertain a review of the decision of a delegate of the respondent Minister to refuse the appellant a Temporary Business Entry visa. The Court below determined correctly that the Tribunal had no power to hear a review of the delegate’s decision in the absence of a fee waiver or the payment of the prescribed fee. The appeal is without merit and must be dismissed. For the reasons referred to in Ong at [14], the appellant is granted an extension of time within which to serve the appeal.

I certify that the preceding four (4) numbered paragraphs are a true copy of the Reasons for Judgment herein of the Honourable Justice Marshall.

Associate:

Dated:        18 November 2010

Details
AGLC
Le v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2010] FCA 1260
Case
[2010] FCA 1260
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

The case of Le v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2010] FCA 1260 involves Viet Ha Le, the appellant, appealing against the decision of the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship and the Migration Review Tribunal. The central issue in this case was the refusal of the Tribunal to grant a review of the decision made by a delegate of the Minister regarding the appellant's application for a Temporary Business Entry visa, and the subsequent refusal of a fee waiver. This appeal was heard in the Federal Court of Australia, with Marshall J presiding over the matter.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether the Migration Review Tribunal had the jurisdiction to review the delegate's decision in the absence of a fee waiver or payment of the prescribed fee. The court needed to determine if the Tribunal's decision to decline the fee waiver application was legally sound and whether the Tribunal had the authority to entertain the review without the fee being paid or waived.

In delivering the judgment, Justice Marshall found that the Tribunal's decision was correct and that it had no jurisdiction to review the delegate's decision in the absence of a fee waiver or the payment of the prescribed fee. The court referred to the earlier decision in Ong v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2010] FCA 1259, which addressed materially identical issues, and concluded that the same orders would apply in this case as in Ong. Given that the factual circumstances of both cases were identical and the legal issues were the same, the court dismissed the appeal on the basis that it was without merit. However, the appellant was granted an extension of time to serve the appeal, as per the reasons outlined in Ong.

The final orders of the court were that leave was granted to extend the time within which to serve the notice of appeal, the appeal was dismissed, and the appellant was ordered to pay the first respondent's costs of the appeal, to be taxed in default of agreement. The court's decision reaffirmed the limited jurisdiction of the Migration Review Tribunal in relation to the review of decisions made by delegates of the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, particularly when it comes to the payment of prescribed fees or the granting of fee waivers.

Orders

Orders of the court

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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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