Nazari and Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs (Citizenship)

The applicant, Mr Nazari, sought judicial review of a decision to cancel his approval to become an Australian citizen. The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs had cancelled this approval under section 25 of the *Australian Citizenship Act 2007* on the grounds that Mr Nazari was not of good character. Mr Nazari contended that he was a man of good character, arguing that any past instances of providing false information were understandable lapses rather than evidence of a lack of good character.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether Mr Nazari was satisfied to be a person of not good character at that point in time. If this question was answered affirmatively, the court then needed to consider whether the discretion to cancel Mr Nazari's approval to become an Australian citizen should be exercised. The court was required to determine the veracity of Mr Nazari's claims against the evidence presented, particularly in light of his admitted history of providing false information to Australian officials.

The court found that Mr Nazari had engaged in a pattern of deception over more than a decade, which remained unaddressed. This conduct included submitting visa applications with a false identity supported by forged documents, lying about his employment status and educational qualifications, and denying his marital status when departing Pakistan. While acknowledging Mr Nazari's commendable humanitarian work, the court concluded that his persistent dishonesty, even in these proceedings, demonstrated a lack of good character. The court was satisfied that these findings provided a sufficient basis to conclude that Mr Nazari was not of good character.