SZRRC v Minister for Immigration

Case

[2013] FMCA 169


FEDERAL MAGISTRATES COURT OF AUSTRALIA

SZRRC v MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION & ANOR [2013] FMCA 169
MIGRATION – Review of decision by Refugee Review Tribunal – Whether Refugee Review Tribunal’s decision affected by jurisdictional error – Whether the Refugee Review Tribunal considered all claims made by the Applicant – No jurisdictional error – Application dismissed.
Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth), s.39B
Migration Act 1958 (Cth), ss.5, 36, 65, 91R, 474, Pt.8
SZRLA v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship & Anor (SYG929/2012);
Plaintiff S157/2002 v Commonwealth (2003) 211 CLR 476;
Randhawa v Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs (1994) 52 FCR 437 at 451 per Beaumont J; Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Guo & Anor (1997) 191 CLR 559;
Prasad v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1985) 6 FCR 155;
Selvadurai v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1994) 34 ALD 347;
NAFF v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (2004) 221 CLR 1;
SZBEL v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (2006) 228 CLR 152; [2006] HCA 63;
SZBYR v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (2007) 235 ALR 609; (2007) 96 ALD 1; [2007] HCA 26;
SZGIY v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2008] FCAFC 68
Abebe v Commonwealth of Australia (1999) 197 CLR 510;
Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Wu Shan Liang and Ors (1996) 185 CLR 259
Applicant: SZRRC
First Respondent: MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION & CITIZENSHIP
Second Respondent: REFUGEE REVIEW TRIBUNAL
File Number: SYG 1607 of 2012
Judgment of: Emmett FM
Hearing date: 11 March 2013
Date of Last Submission: 11 March 2013
Delivered at: Sydney
Delivered on: 11 March 2013

REPRESENTATION

The Applicant appeared in person
Solicitors for the Respondents: Ms Stone, DLA Piper Australia
FEDERAL MAGISTRATES
COURT OF AUSTRALIA
AT SYDNEY

SYG 1607 of 2012

SZRRC

Applicant

And

MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION & CITIZENSHIP

First Respondent

REFUGEE REVIEW TRIBUNAL

Second Respondent

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

Ex Tempore

  1. This is an application pursuant to s.39B of the Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) and Pt.8, Div.2 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) (“the Act”) for judicial review of a decision of the Refugee Review Tribunal dated 28 June 2012 and handed down on the same day(“the Tribunal”).

  2. The Applicant claims to be a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (“China”) and of Christian belief (“the Applicant”).

  3. Prior to considering the proceeding before this Court, these Reasons provide the relevant procedural background, a summary of the legislative framework, a summary of the Applicant’s protection visa application claims and the decision of the delegate of the First Respondent (“the Delegate”) and a summary of the Tribunal’s review and decision.

Background

  1. The Applicant first arrived in Australia on 1 April 2005 as the holder of a student visa issued on 13 March 2005 and valid until 25 May 2005. A second student visa was issued on 25 May 2005 which expired on 15 March 2008.

  2. On 20 September 2011, the Applicant lodged an application for a Protection (Class XA) visa with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (“the Department”) under the Act.

  3. On 4 January 2012, the Delegate refused the Applicant’s application for a protection visa.

  4. On 31 January 2012, the Applicant lodged an application for review of the Delegate’s decision by the Refugee Review Tribunal.

  5. On 28 June 2012, the Tribunal affirmed the decision of the Delegate not to grant a protection visa.

  6. On 24 July 2012, the Applicant filed an application in this Court seeking judicial review of the Tribunal’s decision.

Legislative framework

  1. In their written submissions in SZRLA v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship & Anor (SYG929/2012), Minter Ellison, the solicitors for the first respondent, attached a useful summary of the relevant legislative scheme. That summary is as follows:

    “1. Under section 65(1) of the Act, the first respondent may grant a visa if he is satisfied of a number of matters, including that the prescribed criteria for the particular visa have been satisfied.

    2. Section 31(1) of the Act provides that there are to be prescribed classes of visa. One class of visa is a Protection (Class XA) visa (Regulation 2.01 of the Migration Regulations 1994 (the Regulations) and to the Regulations).

    3. Section 36(2)(a) of the Act provides that:

    (2)  A criterion for a protection visa is that the Applicant for the visa is:

    (a)   a non-citizen in Australia to whom the Minister is satisfied Australia has protection obligations under the Refugees Convention as amended by the Refugees Protocol.

    4. The 'Refugees Convention' is defined in section 5 of the Act as meaning the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees done at Geneva on 28 July 1951. The 'Refugees Protocol' is defined in that section as meaning the Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees done at New York on 31 January 1967.

    5. Subject to certain exceptions, provided for in section 36(3) of the Act, Australia has protection obligations under the Refugees Convention to persons who satisfy the definition of 'refugee' in Article 1 of the Refugees Convention. Article 1A(2) of the Refugees Convention defines a refugee as a person who:

    owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country, or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.

    6. Section 36(2)(aa) of the Act provides that:

    (2)  A criterion for a protection visa is that the Applicant for the visa is:

    (aa)  a non-citizen in Australia (other than a citizen mentioned in paragraph (a)) in respect of whom the Minister is satisfied Australia has protection obligations because the Minister has substantial grounds for believing that, as a necessary and foreseeable consequence of the non-citizen being removed from Australia to a receiving country, there is a real risk that the non-citizen will suffer significant harm.

    7. Under section 411(1)(c) of the Act, a decision to refuse to grant a protection visa is a decision which may be reviewed by the second respondent.

    8. Relevantly, in conducting that review, the second respondent must comply with the natural justice hearing rule, the requirements of which are exhaustively stated in Division 4 of Part 7 of the Act (section 422B(1) of the Act). That Division contains sections 424A and 425, which provide that:

    424A  Information and invitation given in writing by Tribunal

    (1)  Subject to subsections (2A) and (3), the Tribunal must:

    (a)  give to the Applicant, in the way that the Tribunal considers appropriate in the circumstances, clear particulars of any information that the Tribunal considers would be the reason, or a part of the reason, for affirming the decision that is under review.

    425  Tribunal must invite Applicant to appear

    (1)  The Tribunal must invite the Applicant to appear before the Tribunal to give evidence and present arguments relating to the issues arising in relation to the decision under review.

    9. Under section 474(2) of the Act, a decision of the second respondent is a 'privative clause decision'. Under section 474(1)(a) of the Act, a privative clause decision is final and conclusive.

    10. However, a purported decision of the second respondent which is affected by jurisdictional error is not a decision which is made under the Act and therefore is not a privative clause decision: Plaintiff S157/2002 v Commonwealth (2003) 211 CLR 476.”

The Applicant’s application for a protection visa

  1. The Applicant provided a statement in support of his protection visa application in which he stated the following:

    a)The Applicant participated in an underground church with his family before arriving in Australia.

    b)The church was set up by the villagers and ordered to close by the government. Due to their participation in the church, his parents were sent to classes to get brainwashed by the authorities and pressured to join the patriotic churches. His parents’ freedom of religion was constantly undermined.

    c)The church was not registered under the government and members of the family church could be taken away any time. Accordingly, his parents would worry about his involvement in the church and they did not permit him from going there openly.

    d)His participation with the church caused him trouble. The Police attended his school and thereafter his school believed he was participating in illegal activities with a cult.  He was then sent to a special study group for transformation.

    e)His parents paid the fines and wrote a guarantee statement to the school and public security office for his release from the study group. His parents then arranged for him to leave China.

    f)Since arriving in Australia, there has been a fire in the quarry where his church assemblies were often held. His father and church members suspected that the fire was connected to the church being illegal. 

    g)He fears the consequences that would happen if he was to return to China and resume church activities. His girlfriend is now pregnant with his child and he worries about his family and the future of his unborn child.

The Delegate’s decision

  1. On 14 December 2011, the Applicant attended an interview with the Delegate.

  2. On 4 January 2012 the Delegate refused the Applicant’s application for a protection visa on the basis that the Applicant is not a person to whom Australia has protection obligations under the Convention.

  3. The Delegate found that the Applicant had fabricated his claims for a protection visa to lengthen this time in Australia in circumstances where the Applicant delayed lodging a protection visa application for nearly four years after arriving in Australia.

The Tribunal’s review and decision

  1. On 31 January 2012, the Applicant lodged an application for review of the Delegate’s decision by the Tribunal.

  2. On 24 April 2012, the Tribunal wrote to the Applicant informing him that the Tribunal had considered the material before it but was unable to make a favourable decision on that material alone. The letter invited the Applicant to attend a hearing on 4 June 2012 to give oral evidence and present arguments.

  3. On 21 May 2012, the Applicant wrote to the Tribunal requesting to reschedule the hearing date because his partner had just delivered a baby. The Tribunal rescheduled for the 25 June 2012.

  4. On 25 June 2012, the Applicant attended the Tribunal hearing and gave evidence.

  5. The Tribunal noted that it had before it the Department’s file, the Delegate’s decision record and other materials available to it from a range of sources.

  6. The decision of the Tribunal is accurately summarised by counsel/the solicitor for the First Respondent in written submissions as follows:

    “ The RRT's decision

    11. The RRT made an adverse credibility finding at [72] on the basis that the Applicant had raised new claims at the RRT hearing, which he had not mentioned in his written statement or at the delegate's interview.  The RRT considered that the Applicant had raised these new claims because his previous claims were found by the delegate not to give rise to a well-founded fear of persecution.

    12. The RRT found that the Applicant's credibility was further undermined by the fact that he did not attend a Local Church in Australia until he was released from detention in August 2011 (see [73]).   The RRT did not accept that the Applicant was unable to locate a Local Church sooner and rejected the Applicant's claim to have been participating in gatherings via video-link.

    13. Based on these findings, the RRT concluded at [74] that the Applicant was not a Local Church member in China, and therefore did not accept that the Applicant was caught distributing pamphlets and warned by the police.  The RRT found at [78] that the Applicant would not attend church gatherings in China in the future.

    14. The RRT accepted that the Applicant had attended the Local Church in Australia since 2011 and had been baptised. The RRT was not satisfied that this conduct was done otherwise than for the purpose of strengthening his claims to be a refugee, and accordingly disregarded that conduct (see [76]). In considering the complementary protection criteria under section 36(2)(aa) of the Act, the RRT found that the Applicant would not practice his religion in China and that there was no evidence that his Church attendance in Australia gave rise to a real risk that he would suffer significant harm in China (see [81]).

    15. The RRT did not accept that the Applicant's claims arising out of his relationship and children gave rise to any harm (see [79] and [81]).  The RRT did not accept that the Applicant's parents disapproved of the relationship as it did not accept the reason given by the Applicant for their disapproval, and because the Applicant was in regular contact with his parents.  The RRT therefore considered that the Applicant's parents would assist him financially if he returned to China, and also found that the Applicant would be able to work to support his family.”

The proceeding before this Court

  1. The Applicant was unrepresented before this Court, although had the assistance of a Mandarin interpreter. 

  2. On 24 August 2012, the Applicant attended a directions hearing before me. I explained to the Applicant that this Court had no power to interfere with the decision of the Tribunal, unless the Court is satisfied that the Tribunal’s decision is affected by a mistake going to the jurisdiction of the Tribunal. The Applicant confirmed that he wished to continue with the application. The Applicant was given leave to file and serve an amended application giving complete particulars of each ground of review relied upon, together with any further evidence by way of affidavit, including any transcript of the Tribunal hearing, as well as submissions in support.

  3. At the directions hearing, the Applicant was referred to the Court’s Legal Advice Scheme for free legal advice. The Applicant has participated in the Court’s Legal Advice Scheme and received free legal advice. The Applicant was also provided with the contact details of legal services providers and interpreting and translation services in documents headed in his own language.

  4. At the commencement of the hearing, the Applicant confirmed that he had not filed any amended application, evidence or submissions in support of his application and that he had no further documents to present to the Court this morning in support of his application.

  5. The Applicant confirmed that he relied on the grounds contained in an application filed on 24 July 2012. The Applicant attached to his initiating application, filed on 24 July 2012, two further pages. The first was headed, ‘Orders Sought by Applicant’. That attachment appeared to indentify the four areas of complaint on which the Applicant relied. The second document was headed, ‘The Grounds of the Application’ and appeared to do no more than restate the Applicant’s claims in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3. Paragraph 4 asserted that the Tribunal had failed to consider a particular claim. Taken as a whole, I understand the Applicant’s complaints about the Tribunal’s decision to be as follows:

    “1, I disagree with the Immigration and RRT’s decision as they did not consider my commitment with Local Church, which has no legal reorganization or status in China and treated as cult. My practice to faith will no doubt evoke persecution if I am involved in origin.

    2, RRT fail to consider my risk, danger and harm affection on family members if I pursue my religion in China.

    3, RRT member failed to well consider the evidence and detailed explanation in hearing, and fail to give me more chance for explanation or making comment upon those outstanding issues of hearing.

    4, RRT’s judgement is unfair claiming I failed to give more details in relation to my family members being persecuted in or before the hearing. I am really innocent in this wrong claim as I have no idea what I must clarify in interview or hearing as I thought I have explained this information in my statement before.

    5, RRT failed to consider that I am not married due to our both families denial to our marital relationship and refuse to offer any financial support or accommodation, we are unable to survive and live a normal life in China ending up to suffer in endless harms and social discrimination if return.”

  6. Each of the grounds was interpreted for the assistance of the Applicant and the Applicant was invited to make submissions in support of each of the grounds and in support of the application generally. The Applicant had nothing to say in support of any of the grounds of complaint and nothing to say in support of his application generally.

Ground 1

  1. Ground 1 asserts that the Tribunal did not consider the Applicant’s commitment to the Local Church which is illegal in China and treated as a cult. This ground was otherwise unsupported by further particulars, evidence or written or oral submissions.

  2. The Tribunal’s decision record makes clear that the Tribunal accepted that the Applicant had some knowledge of Local Church beliefs, but found that his knowledge had been gained through his attendance at a Church in Australia since August 2011. The Tribunal rejected the Applicant’s claims of having been a Local Church member in China and otherwise did not accept the Applicant’s claims of past experiences in China.

  3. The Tribunal found the Applicant not to be credible and found his credibility to have been a past member in China of a Local Church to be further undermined by his failure to attend a Local Church in Australia until after being released from a detention centre, having been in Australia since April 2005.

  4. The Tribunal noted that it puts its concerns about attendance at a Local Church, but did not accept the Applicant’s explanations. In particular, the Tribunal did not accept the Applicant’s claim to have attended other churches in Australia while looking for a Local Church. In addition, the Tribunal noted that, on the Applicant’s own evidence, he did not attend these other churches until 2009 and 2010.

  5. For those reasons, the Tribunal found that the Applicant did not have any genuine commitment to his religious beliefs and was not satisfied that he attended the Local Church in Sydney otherwise than for the purpose of strengthening his claim to be a refugee. Having made that finding, the Tribunal disregarded the Applicant’s conduct in Australia in accordance with s91R(3) of the Act in assessing whether the Applicant has a well founded fear of persecution if he was to return to China.

  6. The Tribunal’s decision record makes clear that the Tribunal understood the Applicant’s claim to have been a Local Church member in China and Sydney. The Tribunal considered those claims and ultimately did not accept the Applicant’s evidence in support.

  7. It is well established that the Tribunal is not required to accept uncritically any and all claims made by an Applicant (Randhawa v Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs (1994) 52 FCR 437 at 451 per Beaumont J; Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Guo & Anor (1997) 191 CLR 559 at 596 Kirby J; Prasad v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1985) 6 FCR 155 at 169-70 per Wilcox J). Nor does the Tribunal have to possess rebutting evidence before holding that a particular assertion was not made out (Selvadurai v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1994) 34 ALD 347 at 348 per Heerey J).

  8. The Tribunal’s findings were open to it on the materials and evidence before it, and for the reasons it gave, including its adverse credibility findings. Credibility findings are a matter par excellence for the Tribunal (Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Ex parte Durairajasingham (2000) 168 ALR 407 at [67] per McHugh J).

  1. Accordingly, Ground 1 is not made out.

Ground 2

  1. Ground 2 asserts that the Tribunal failed to consider the risk of harm to the Applicant and his family members if he was to pursue his religion in China. This ground was otherwise unsupported by further particulars, evidence or written or oral submissions.

  2. A fair reading of the Tribunal’s decision record does not support the Applicant’s assertion in Ground 2.

  3. The Tribunal found that the Applicant would not attend Church gatherings if he was to return to China because of its comprehensive rejection of his claims to have been a Local Church member in China or a committed Christian. For those reasons, the Tribunal did not accept that the Applicant would have any difficulty in raising his family in China because of any connection with a Local Church in China.

  4. The Tribunal found that, having considered the Applicant’s claims, there is not a real chance that the Applicant would be persecuted for reasons of his religious beliefs, or any Convention Reason, if he was to return to China now or in the reasonably foreseeable future.

  5. The Tribunal further found that the Applicant’s attendance at Church gatherings in Australia and his baptism did not by themselves suggest that there is a real risk that the Applicant would suffer significant harm in China because of that conduct. In any event, the Tribunal did not accept that the Applicant would practise his religious beliefs if he was to return to China, or that any harm would arise because of his relationship with his de facto partner or in relation to his children.

  6. Those findings were open to the Tribunal on the evidence and material before it, and for the reasons it gave.

  7. Accordingly, Ground 2 is not made out.

Ground 3

  1. Ground 3 asserts that the Tribunal failed to consider the Applicant’s evidence and explanations provided by him at the hearing and that the Tribunal failed to give him any further opportunity to comment on the Tribunal’s concerns. This ground was otherwise unsupported by further particulars, evidence or written or oral submissions.

  2. A fair reading of the Tribunal’s decision record makes clear that the Tribunal explored the Applicant’s claims with him at hearing including its concerns about the reliability of his new claim made at the hearing. This new claim was that the Applicant’s family members had been arrested because of their Church membership and that he had participated in video links of Church gatherings.

  3. The Tribunal put to the Applicant particular concerns it had about his various claims and noted the Applicant’s responses. In particular, the Tribunal noted that it indicated to the Applicant that it might not accept that he was a genuine member of a Local Church in Australia, or that he had been involved in the Local Church in China, or that any members of his family had been arrested or detained or otherwise persecuted for reasons of their religious beliefs in China. The Tribunal noted that the Applicant said he understood the concerns that were being put to him by the Tribunal. The Tribunal noted the Applicant’s various responses and explanations.

  4. There was no transcript of the Tribunal hearing provided to this Court, nor did the Applicant provide any evidence to this Court to suggest that the Tribunal’s decision record is not accurate. At the directions hearing on 24 August 2012, the Applicant was given an opportunity to file a transcript of the Tribunal hearing. The Applicant was also directed to give notice if he wished to rely on recordings of the hearing. However, no step was taken by the Applicant to rely on any such evidence. In the circumstances, the Court accepts as accurate the Tribunal’s summary of the oral evidence given by the Applicant and exchanges it had with the Applicant at the Tribunal hearing. The Court is entitled to accept the Tribunal’s decision record as accurately reflecting the matters to which it refers as taking place at the hearing in the absence of any evidence to the contrary (NAFF v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (2004) 221 CLR 1).

  5. I accept the written submission of the solicitor for the first respondent that to the extent that Ground 3 could be understood as an assertion that the Tribunal breached s.424A or s.425 of the Act, such an assertion is not made out.

  6. On 24 April 2012, the Applicant was invited to appear before the Tribunal in an invitation that complied with s425 and s.425A of the Act. The Applicant attended the hearing and the Tribunal’s decision record makes clear that he was offered every opportunity to present evidence with respect to all aspects of his claims at the hearing and to address the Tribunal’s particular concerns about his evidence. There was no further requirement upon the Tribunal to put to the Applicant its reasoning process for the Applicant’s comments or response. (See SZBEL v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (2006) 228 CLR 152; [2006] HCA 63 at [48]).

  7. Further, there was no information that was part of the reasoning for the Tribunal affirming the decision under review and therefore that enlivened an obligation on the part of the Tribunal pursuant to s.424A of the Act. (See SZBYR v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (2007) 235 ALR 609; (2007) 96 ALD 1; [2007] HCA 26 at [17]; SZGIY v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2008] FCAFC 68).

  8. Accordingly, Ground 3 is not made out.

Ground 4

  1. Ground 4 asserts that the Tribunal’s judgement is unfair because the Tribunal found that the Applicant had failed to consider his claim made prior to the Tribunal hearing about the alleged persecution of his family members in China. This ground was otherwise unsupported by further particulars, evidence or written or oral submissions.

  2. As stated above, it was open to the Tribunal to find that the Applicant’s claim of the arrest of his family members because of their Local Church membership in China, made for the first time at the hearing, adversely affected the Applicant’s credibility. The Tribunal noted that the Applicant had provided a reasonably detailed statement with his protection visa that mentioned his family, but made no such claim of his parents’ arrest.

  3. As stated above, the Tribunal’s adverse credibility findings were open to it on the evidence and material before it and on the reasons it gave.

  4. Otherwise, the complaint in Ground 4 does not identify any jurisdictional error on the part of the Tribunal and appears more to be a disagreement with the findings and conclusions of the Tribunal. Such a complaint invite merits review which this Court cannot undertake (Abebe v Commonwealth of Australia (1999) 197 CLR 510 at 53-54; Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Wu Shan Liang and Ors (1996) 185 CLR 259 at 272 per Brennan CJ, Toohey, McHugh and Gummow JJ).

  5. Accordingly, Ground 4 is not made out.

Ground 5

  1. Ground 5 asserts that the Tribunal failed to consider that the Applicant would be denied financial support or accommodation in China by his family because of his ‘marital relationship’. This ground was otherwise unsupported by further particulars, evidence or written or oral submissions.

  2. The Tribunal’s decision record makes clear that the Tribunal considered the Applicant’s claimed concerns about his relationship with his de facto partner and that their families did not recognise their relationship. The Tribunal noted that the Applicant claimed that without family assistance, he and his partner could not afford to register the two children and that if they returned to China and attended an underground Church it would bring trouble to their family and their two children.

  3. However, as stated above, the Tribunal did not accept that the Applicant would attend Church gatherings if he was to return to China and therefore did not accept that he would have any trouble raising his family for that reason.

  4. Further, the Tribunal found the Applicant’s claim that his parents disapproved of his relationship to be unconvincing and inconsistent with other claims made by him. The Tribunal did not accept that the Applicant’s parents would not assist him financially, or that he would not be able to work to support his family. The Tribunal noted that on the Applicant’s own evidence, he would register his children. The Tribunal did not accept that any of the Applicant’s claimed concerns in relation to his de facto partner and his children gave rise to any risk of harm, let alone serious harm to the Applicant pursuant to s.91R(1)(b) of the Act.

  5. Accordingly, Ground 5 is not made out.

Conclusion

  1. A fair reading of the Tribunal’s decision record makes clear that the Tribunal understood the claims being made by the Applicant; explored those claims with the Applicant at a hearing; and, had regard to all material provided in support. The Tribunal put to the Applicant matters of concern it had about his evidence and noted the Applicant’s responses. The Tribunal also put to the Applicant independent country information before it and invited the Applicant to comment upon it. The Tribunal also identified independent country information to which it had regard. The Tribunal then made findings based on the evidence and material before it. Those findings of fact were open to the Tribunal on the evidence and material before it and for the reasons it gave. A fair reading of the Tribunal’s decision record makes clear that the Tribunal reached conclusions based on the findings made by it and to which it applied the correct law.

  2. In the circumstances, the Tribunal complied with its obligations under the statutory regime in the making of its decision, including the conduct of its review.

  3. The Tribunal’s decision is not affected by jurisdictional error and is therefore a privative clause decision. Accordingly, pursuant to s.474 of the Act, this Court has no jurisdiction to interfere.

  4. The proceeding before this Court should be dismissed with costs.

I certify that the preceding sixty-four (64) paragraphs are a true copy of the reasons for judgment of Emmett FM

Date: 11 March 2013

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