SZEYK v Minister for Immigration & Anor

Case

[2008] FMCA 1354

12 September 2008


FEDERAL MAGISTRATES COURT OF AUSTRALIA

SZEYK v MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION & ANOR [2008] FMCA 1354
MIGRATION – RRT decision – second application to Tribunal after unsuccessful judicial review litigation – no arguable case – application dismissed at a show‑cause hearing.
Federal Magistrates Court Rules 2001 (Cth), r.44.12(1)(a)
SZBWJ v Minister for Immigration & Citizenship [2008] FCA 1175
SZCKX v Minister for Immigration & Citizenship [2008] FCA 526
SZEYK v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship & Anor [2008] HCASL 378
SZEYK v Minister for Immigration & Citizenship [2008] FCA 70
SZEYK v Minister for Immigration & Anor [2007] FMCA 2095
SZEYK v Minister for Immigration & Citizenship & Anor [2007] HCATrans 640
SZEYK v Minister for Immigration & Citizenship [2007] FCA 133
SZEYK v Minister for Immigration & Anor [2006] FMCA 1473
Applicant: SZEYK
First Respondent: MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION & CITIZENSHIP
Second Respondent: REFUGEE REVIEW TRIBUNAL
File Number: SYG 2002 of 2008
Judgment of: Smith FM
Hearing date: 12 September 2008
Delivered at: Sydney
Delivered on: 12 September 2008

REPRESENTATION

Counsel for the Applicant: Applicant in person
Counsel for the First Respondent: Ms E Warner Knight
Solicitors for the Respondents: Australian Government Solicitor

ORDERS

  1. The application is dismissed under Rule 44.12(1)(a) on the ground that it does not raise an arguable case for the relief claimed. 

  2. The applicant must pay the first respondent’s costs in the sum of $2,500. 

  3. Direct that no further application for review of the decisions of the Refugee Review Tribunal handed down on 27 October 2005 or 8 July 2008, or for review of the decision of the delegate of the first respondent dated 14 August 2003, or for review of any other administrative decision or action by any person or tribunal relating to the application for a protection visa received on 25 June 1996, shall be accepted for filing without prior leave of the Court. 

FEDERAL MAGISTRATES
COURT OF AUSTRALIA AT
SYDNEY

SYG 2002 of 2008

SZEYK

Applicant

And

MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION & CITIZENSHIP

First Respondent

REFUGEE REVIEW TRIBUNAL

Second Respondent

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

(revised from transcript)

  1. This is an application filed on 4 August 2008, in which the applicant seeks, in effect, an order by way of mandamus to compel the Refugee Review Tribunal to conduct a second review of a decision made by a delegate of the Minister.  The delegate’s decision was made on 14 August 2003, and refused to grant a protection visa to the applicant. 

  2. The applicant earlier applied for review of the delegate’s decision, and his application to the Refugee Review Tribunal was decided in a decision handed down on 27 October 2005.  The Tribunal affirmed the delegate’s decision, and the validity of its decision has been upheld by this Court, the Federal Court, and the High Court (see SZEYK v Minister for Immigration & Anor [2006] FMCA 1473; SZEYK v Minister for Immigration & Citizenship [2007] FCA 133; and SZEYK v Minister for Immigration & Citizenship & Anor [2007] HCATrans 640).

  3. The applicant then commenced a second round of litigation challenging the Tribunal’s decision, in which his application was dismissed as an abuse of process (see SZEYK v Minister for Immigration & Anor [2007] FMCA 2095; SZEYK v Minister for Immigration & Citizenship [2008] FCA 70; and SZEYK v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship & Anor [2008] HCASL 378).

  4. The applicant then followed a familiar path of making a second application to the Tribunal.  In a decision dated 7 July 2008, the Tribunal held that it did not have jurisdiction to conduct a second review of the delegate’s decision.  It is this decision, which is the subject matter of the present application. 

  5. In its reasons, the Tribunal referred to well known authority which establishes that it does not have jurisdiction to review a delegate’s decision twice.  That line of cases has recently been followed by Cowdroy J in SZCKX v Minister for Immigration & Citizenship [2008] FCA 526 and Moore J in SZBWJ v Minister for Immigration & Citizenship [2008] FCA 1175.

  6. In my opinion, the applicant’s present application is plainly hopeless, and I propose to dismiss it today under r.44.12(1)(a) of the Federal Magistrates Court Rules 2001 (Cth).

  7. The applicant’s submissions today attempted to persuade me to allow him to re‑litigate in this Court, or before the Tribunal, an argument concerning the validity of the first Tribunal’s decision which was previously put by his counsel to Scarlett FM and on appeal.  He plainly does not understand the need for finality in his litigation.  In my opinion, it is appropriate for me to direct the Registry not to receive any further applications relating to his protection visa application without first obtaining the leave of the Court. 

I certify that the preceding seven (7) paragraphs are a true copy of the reasons for judgment of Smith FM

Associate:  Lilian Khaw

Date:  30 September 2008

Actions
Download as PDF Download as Word Document


Cases Cited

7

Statutory Material Cited

0

SZEYK v MIAC [2007] HCATrans 640