Ryan and Repatriation Commission

[2005] AATA 981

Administrative

Appeals

Tribunal

 

DECISION AND REASONS FOR DECISION [2005] AATA 981

ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS TRIBUNAL      )

)          No Q2003/719, Q2004/461

VETERANS' APPEALS  DIVISION		)
Re		DAVID CHARLES RYAN

Applicant

And REPATRIATION COMMISSION

Respondent

DECISION

Tribunal Dr KS Levy, Member

Date6 October 2005  

PlaceBrisbane

Decision The Tribunal sets aside the decisions of the Repatriation Commission dated 5 September 2001 and 5 December 2003 and substitutes a decision:   

(i)that the applicant suffers from PTSD and co-morbid     hypertension and alcohol abuse;

(ii)that the applicant’s conditions were war-caused within the meaning of the Act; and

(iii)that the matter is remitted to the respondent for assessment of pension.

...................[Sgd]......................

KS Levy
  Member

CATCHWORDS   

VETERANS’ APPEALS – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – co-morbid hypertension – alcohol abuse – whether war-caused – threat to physical integrity – whether necessary for veteran to subjectively experience “severe stressor” – decision set aside.

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 ss 6C, 7, 9, 13, 120, 120A

Repatriation Commission and Gosewinckel (2000) 59 ALD 690
Benjamin and Repatriation Commission (2003) 70 ALD 622
Fogarty and Repatriation Commission [2003] FCAFC 136
Gerzina v Repatriation Commission [2003] FMCA 490
White v Repatriation Commission [2004] FCA 633
Re Williamson and Repatriation Commission [2004] AATA 1185
Allen and Repatriation Commission [2005] AATA 526
Re McCutcheon and Repatriation Commission [2004] AATA 329
Repatriation Commission and Hancock [2003] FCA 711
Repatriation Commission and Deledio (1998) 83 FCR 82
Repatriation Commission v Stares (1996) 41 ALD 212
Bushell v Repatriation Commission (1992) 175 CLR 408
Byrnes v Repatriation Commission (1993) 177 CLR 564
Repatriation Commission v Webb (1998) 51 ALD 575
Repatriation Commission v Hill [2002] FCAFC 192; (2002) 69 ALD 581
East v Repatriation Commission (1987) 16 FCR 517
Repatriation Commission v Bey (1997) 79 FCR 364
Gilbert v Repatriation Commission (1989) 86 ALR 713
Repatriation Commission v Tuite (1993) 39 FCR 540
Woodward v Repatriation Commission (2003) 131 FCR 473
Repatriation Commission v Stoddart (2003) 77 ALD 67
Re Slattery and Repatriation Commission (1998) 52 ALD 90

Stoddart v Repatriation Commission [2003] FCA 334

Delahunty v Repatriation Commission (2004) 38 AAR 511
Lees v Repatriation Commission 125 FCR 331
Stoddart v Repatriation Commission (2003) 74 ALD 366

REASONS FOR DECISION

6 October 2005   Dr KS Levy, Member          

Introduction

1. The applicant, David Ryan, has applied under section 29(1) of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 for a review of two decisions under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (“the Act”) –

(a)a decision of the Repatriation Commission of 5 September 2001 which determined that depressive disorder was not war-caused or defence-caused under the Act; and

(b) a decision of the Repatriation Commission of 5 December 2003 which determined that hypertension was not war-caused or defence-caused under the Act.

2.      The above decisions were affirmed by the Veterans’ Review Board on 25 September 2002 and 7 May 2004 respectively.

3.      The present claim is based on the applicant’s contentions that the conditions of depressive disorder and hypertension satisfy the definitions and diagnostic criteria prescribed in Statements of Principles…