SZOAT v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship

Case [2010] FCA 846


FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

SZOAT v Minister for Immigration & Citizenship [2010] FCA 846

Citation: SZOAT v Minister for Immigration & Citizenship [2010] FCA 846
Appeal from: Application for extension of time: SZOAT v Minister for Immigration & Anor [2010] FMCA 358
Parties: SZOAT v MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP and REFUGEE REVIEW TRIBUNAL
File number: NSD 636 of 2010
Judge: NORTH J
Date of judgment: 4 August 2010
Date of hearing: 4 August 2010
Date of last submissions: 4 August 2010
Place: Sydney
Division: GENERAL DIVISION
Category: No Catchwords
Number of paragraphs: 3
Counsel for the Applicant: The Applicant did not appear
Counsel for the First Respondent: Ms Warner
Solicitor for the First Respondent: Australian Government Solicitor

IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

NEW SOUTH WALES DISTRICT REGISTRY

GENERAL DIVISION

NSD 636 of 2010

BETWEEN:

SZOAT
Applicant

AND:

MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP
First Respondent

REFUGEE REVIEW TRIBUNAL
Second Respondent

JUDGE:

NORTH J

DATE OF ORDER:

4 AUGUST 2010

WHERE MADE:

SYDNEY

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1.That the application for an extension of time in which to file and serve a notice of appeal against the orders of the Federal Magistrates Court made on 12 May 2010 is dismissed.

2.        The applicant pay the first respondent’s costs of the application

Note:Settlement and entry of orders is dealt with in Order 36 of the Federal Court Rules.
The text of entered orders can be located using Federal Law Search on the Court’s website.

IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

NEW SOUTH WALES DISTRICT REGISTRY

GENERAL DIVISION

NSD 636 of 2010

BETWEEN:

SZOAT
Applicant

AND:

MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP
First Respondent

REFUGEE REVIEW TRIBUNAL
Second Respondent

JUDGE:

NORTH J

DATE:

4 AUGUST 2010

PLACE:

SYDNEY

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

  1. Before the Court is an application for an extension of time within which to serve a notice of appeal from orders made by the Federal Magistrates Court on 12 May 2010. 

  2. When the matter was called on this morning and the applicant was called outside the Court, there was no appearance.  Consequently, Ms Warner the solicitor for the first respondent rang the mobile telephone number provided by the applicant to the Federal Magistrates Court.  Ms Warner then recounted to the Court the conversation which she had with a person who identified himself as the applicant.  In that conversation the applicant indicated that he did not intend to come to Court, that he had taken some alternative procedure to advance his interests. 

  3. The first respondent has therefore sought orders pursuant to O 35A r 3(1)(a) of the Federal Court Rules that the application be dismissed with costs.  Such an order is justified following the failure of the applicant to appear on the application and thereby failing to prosecute the proceeding with due diligence (O 35A r 2(1)(f)). 

I certify that the preceding three (3) numbered paragraphs are a true copy of the Reasons for Judgment herein of the Honourable Justice North.

Associate:

Dated:       12 August 2010

Details
AGLC
SZOAT v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2010] FCA 846
Case
[2010] FCA 846
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

The matter before the court involved the applicant, SZOAT, seeking an extension of time to file and serve a notice of appeal against orders made by the Federal Magistrates Court on 12 May 2010. The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship was the respondent opposing the application for an extension of time. The crux of the dispute was whether the applicant could be granted an extension to appeal the decisions made by the Federal Magistrates Court in relation to their immigration matters.

The primary legal issue before the court was whether the applicant had demonstrated sufficient grounds to warrant an extension of time to appeal the Federal Magistrates Court's orders. This involved assessing whether there was any justification for the delay in lodging the notice of appeal and whether the applicant's reasons for the delay were satisfactory. The court needed to consider the principles of timeliness in legal proceedings and the discretionary power to extend time in exceptional circumstances.

The court dismissed the application for an extension of time, finding that the applicant had not provided adequate justification for the delay. The court emphasised that timely appeals are crucial to the integrity of the judicial process and noted that the applicant had not demonstrated any exceptional circumstances that warranted an extension. Consequently, the court ordered that the applicant pay the costs of the application to the first respondent. This decision underscores the importance of adhering to procedural timelines and the limited circumstances in which extensions of time may be granted.

Orders

Orders of the court

1. That the application for an extension of time in which to file and serve a notice of appeal against the orders of the Federal Magistrates Court made on 12 May 2010 is dismissed.

2. The applicant pay the first respondent’s costs of the application

Note:

Background

Background to the litigation

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Evidence

Evidence Before The Court

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Decision

Reasons for decision

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Ratio Decidendi

Legal Principle Established

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