Marner and Child Support Registrar (Child support)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) considered an application by Marner for an extension of time to object to a decision made by the Child Support Registrar. The Registrar had refused to grant this extension, and Marner sought review of that refusal.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether it should grant Marner an extension of time to lodge an objection. To determine this, the Tribunal was required to consider whether Marner had provided a satisfactory explanation for the significant delay in lodging the objection and whether the objection had sufficient merit to warrant granting the extension.

The Tribunal applied the principles established in cases concerning extensions of time for objections, which require a balancing of factors including the length of the delay, the reasons for the delay, the merits of the proposed objection, and any prejudice to the respondent. In this instance, the Tribunal found that Marner had not provided a satisfactory explanation for the substantial delay. Furthermore, the Tribunal concluded that the proposed objection lacked merit. Weighing these factors, the Tribunal determined that the Registrar had correctly refused to grant the extension of time.

The Tribunal affirmed the decision under review, meaning the refusal to grant the extension of time was upheld.