Lowry and James (Child support)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal considered the dispute between Lowry and James concerning the particulars of an administrative assessment of child support. The applicant, Lowry, sought review of a decision made by the Registrar of the Child Support Agency.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether the Registrar's decision, which had been made based on information available at the time of an objection, should be set aside and substituted. Specifically, the Tribunal had to determine if better information was available at the time the objection was considered, which would warrant a different outcome.

The Tribunal's reasoning focused on the availability of more accurate information regarding the adjusted taxable income of one of the parties. Applying the principles of administrative review, the Tribunal found that the information available to the Registrar at the time of the objection was not the best available information. Consequently, the Tribunal set aside the Registrar's decision and substituted its own.