Pettitt and Child Support Registrar (Child support)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) considered the matter of *Pettitt and Child Support Registrar*. The dispute concerned the Registrar's refusal to grant an extension of time for Mr. Pettitt to object to a child support assessment. Mr. Pettitt sought to challenge this refusal.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether the Registrar's decision to refuse the extension of time was justified, or if the Tribunal should set aside that decision and substitute its own. This required the Tribunal to weigh various factors, including the reasons for the delay in lodging the objection and whether the objection had arguable merit.

The Tribunal found that Mr. Pettitt had not provided a satisfactory explanation for the significant delay in lodging his objection. However, the Tribunal also considered the arguable merit of the objection itself. After weighing these competing factors, the Tribunal concluded that the Registrar's refusal was not the correct or preferable decision in the circumstances. The Tribunal set aside the Registrar's decision and substituted its own, granting the extension of time.