Sinanovic, Applications by

The applications before the High Court of Australia concerned the interpretation of certain provisions of the *Migration Act 1958* (Cth) and the *Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977* (Cth) in the context of a non-citizen’s application for a protection visa. The applicants, Mr Sinanovic and others, sought judicial review of decisions made by the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs.

The central legal issues before the Court were whether the Minister's decisions to refuse to grant the protection visas were affected by an error of law, and specifically, whether the Minister had failed to consider relevant considerations or had taken into account irrelevant considerations when making those decisions. The applicants also contended that the Minister's delegate had failed to provide adequate reasons for the refusal.

The High Court, comprising Hayne and Heydon JJ, considered the scope of the Minister's duty to consider relevant matters under the *Migration Act*. Their Honours affirmed that while the Minister is required to consider all relevant considerations, this does not extend to an obligation to consider every conceivable matter. The Court emphasised that the reasons provided for a decision must be sufficient to enable a proper understanding of the basis of the decision, but they are not required to be exhaustive. The Court found that the delegate's reasons, while brief, were sufficient in the circumstances and that no error of law had been demonstrated.

The applications for special leave to appeal were dismissed.