Tang, K.T. v Minister for Immigration & Ethnic Affairs
[1986] FCA 275
•7 Apr 1986
| IfJ THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTFALIA | ) | ||
| VICTORIA DISTRICT REGISTRY |
| ||
| GENERAL DIVISION |
| OU APPEAL FROM A SINGLE JUDGE | OF THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA |
BFITWEEN:
KHOI TRI TANG (a lso known as
CHIT TZO TSENG) and CANDICE
HUI NHI CH0
Appellants
IW&N :
Respondent
| CORAM | Evatt,'Davles, Pincus JJ. | ||
| DATED |
|
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MINUTE OF ORDER
| THE COURT ORDERS | THAT: |
1. The appeal be allowed.
| 2 . |
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be substltuted an order that the decisions under review be j e t aslde and that the matter be remltted to the Respondent
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| -+ps= | CATCHWORDS |
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| ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - | judicial review - application for |
| review of denial of permanent | resident | status | and |
consequent deportation order - applicant married to an Australian citizen - temporary entry permit expired -
| expectation | that | applicant | return | to | Taiwan | before | I |
| 4 | favourable | consideration of application for permanent |
| entry permit | - failure to consider merits of case | - |
| policy | inconsistent | with | - | legislative | intent | - |
| inconsistent with policy statement | of Minister |
| Administrative | Decisions | (Judicial | Review) | Act | 1977 |
(Cth) - s.5
Misration Act 1958 (Cth) ss.6, 6A, 7, 13, 18
| Australian Citizenship Act | 1948 (Cth) |
| Commonwealth Electoral Act | 1918 (Cth) |
| Public Service Reform Act | 1984 (Cth) |
E v Pbrt of London Authoritv. Ex parte Kvnoch Limited
C19193 1 RB 176
| Schmidt v Secretary- of State, Home Affairs | t19693 2 Ch |
| 149 |
| British Oxvsen Company- | v Board of Trade C19713 AC 610 |
| Saqnata Limited | v Norwich Corporation E19713 2 QB 614 |
Re Drake and Minister for Immisration and Ethnic Affairs
(No.2) (1979) 2 ALD 634
| Leqal Sejrvices Commission | v Stephens (1981) 2 NSWLR 697 |
| Kohn Ahsoo v Tuchin (unreported, | 30 April 1986) |
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| BETWEN : KHOI TRI TANG | i |
| (also known as CH1 TZO TSENG) | I . |
| and CANDICE | HUI NHI CH0 | I |
Appellants
t
| AND | THE HONOURABLE | CHRISTOPHEX | JOHN | HURFORD. |
| MINISTER OF STATE FOR IMMIGRATION | AND |
| EI'HNIC AFFAIRS |
Respondent
| No. | V G . 2 9 2 of | 1985 |
| I-.. | - | : . |
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| CORAM | Evatt, | Davies, | Pincus | JJ | . | .- -. | 7, | . P; |
| 4 July 1986 |
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| d. | The respondent pap the appellants' costs of the appeal and of | i |
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| the proceedings below. | ||
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| NOTE : | Settlement and entry of orders 1s dealt w i t h in Order 36 of the Federal Court Rules. |
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| IIJ THE FEDERqL COURT OF AUSTRALIA | ) | ||
| VICTORIA DISTPZIC,T REGISTRY |
| ||
| GENERAL DIVISIQN |
| ON APPEAL F R O M A SINGLE JUDGE | C)F THE FEDFFAL COURT OF -4USTRALIA |
| KHOI TRI TANG (also known | as | j |
CH1 TZO TSENG) and CANDICE HUI
| NHI CH0 | ! |
Appellants
-m:
| THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER | i |
| JOHN | HURFORD, | MINISTFP | OF | l |
| STATE | FOR | IMMIGRATION | AND | I |
| AFFAIRS | ETHNIC | i |
| I |
Respondent
| CORW: | Evatt. Danes, Pincus JJ. |
| DATED: | 4 July 1986 |
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| REASONS FOR JUM;MENT | I |
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| EVATT J: | I agres that the appeal should be allowed with costs |
| for the reasons qlven by | Davies J. and agree wlth the proposed |
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orders set out therein.
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I certify that this page is a true copy of the Reasons for Judgment herem of his
Honour Mr Justice Evatt
Assoclate
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| IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF A U S m I A ) | ! |
)
| I | VICTORIA DISTRICT REGISTRY | ) | No. VG.292 of 1985 |
| 1 | |||
| GENERAL DIVISION | ) |
| ON AF'PEAL | F R O M A SINGLE JUDGE | OF THE |
FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA
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| BETWEEN | : | KHOI TRI TANG (also known |
| as CH1 TZO TSENG) | ||
|
Appellants
| AND | THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER |
| JOHN HURFORD, MINISTER OF | |
| STATE FOR IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS |
Respondent
REASONS €OR JUDGMENT
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| CORAM | matt, Davies, Pincus JJ |
| 4 July 1986 |
DAVIES J : This is an appeal from a decision of a single Judge
| of | this Court given on 20 December 1985 which dismissed an |
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| application | brought by the appellants | under | s.5 of the |
Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 (Cth). The
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| learned trial Judge described | the application as follows : |
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| "This is | an application pursuant to | 5.5 | of the |
| Administrative | Decisions | (Judicial | Review) | Act |
| 1977 ("the Judicial Review | Act") in which the |
| applicants | seek | the | review | of | a | number | of |
| decisions which have led to | a deportation order |
being made against the first applicant, Mr. Tang.
| Two | of the decisions were made on | 11 | November |
| 1985. By | them | the | Minister, | by | one | of | his |
delegates, determined that he would not grant to
Mr. Tang an entry permit pursuant to s.6A of the
| Miqration Act | 1958 ("the Act"), and, further, that |
| he would | order | the | deportation | of | Mr. | Tang |
| pursuant | to 5.18 of | the | Act. | The | remaining |
| i | decisions challenged were decisions made | by | the |
| Minister, again by | one of his delegates, to affirm |
| his decision made | on 11 November '1985 to refuse |
| the grant of | a permit pursuant to s.6A of the Act |
| and | to | affirm | his | decision | to | order | the |
| deportation of Mr. Tang. | " |
The relevant facts which led to the decisions under review
| were set out by his Honour thus | : |
| ' I - . . | The February 1957. He entered Australia as a | applicant | was | born | in | Vietnam | on 23 |
visitor
| on 30 March 1983 | and was issued with a temporary |
| entry permit subject to | a condition, 'employment |
| prohibited without authorized officer'. The permit was valid | written | permission | of | an |
for two
| weeks from the date of his arrival. On | 4 | April |
| 1983 Mr. | Tang | was | granted a further temporary |
| entry permit until | 27 May 1983 for the purpose of |
| tourism. | No further entry permit was issued | to |
| him. Mr. | Tang did not leave Australia, and | he |
| became, | after | 27 May 1983, a prohibited |
| non-citizen. | He has had this status for the last |
| 2 1/2 years. | Officers | of | the | Department | of |
| Immigration discovered | Mr. Tang on 25 October 1985 |
| at his place of employment in Melbourne. | He | was |
| arrested pursuant to the provisions of | 5-38 of the |
| Act and held | at the Immigration Detention Centre, |
| Maribyrnong, Victoria. | He has been | in custody |
| ever since. |
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On 24 September 1985 Mr. Tang married the second
| applicant, | Mrs. | Tang. | It | is | accepted | by | the |
| Minister that the marriage was genuine, not one | of |
convenience and not entered into for the purpose
of avoiding Mr. Tang's deportation.
Mr. Tang's mother and father live in Melbourne.
| They left Vietnam for Australia in | 1979 and landed | I |
at Derby, Western Australia, on 12 April of that
| year. They came to Melbourne in May | 1979 and have |
remained there ever since. They arrived with two
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| younger | children, now 15 and 13 years old |
| respectively. On | 16 February 1982, the father, |
| mother | and | the | two | younger | children | became |
naturalized Australian citizens.
| Mr. Tang has an older brother who is | also believed |
| to be in Australia. | He is said to be living in |
| Sydney but his whereabouts are | unknown. There is |
| suspicion | a | that | he may | be | prohibited | a |
non-citizen.
| On 25 April 1984 Mrs. Tang senior suffered | a |
stroke. She has continued to be disabled and to
suffer from ill health since that time. Mrs. Tang
is partially paralyzed and is dependent on others
to look after her.
| Mr. Tang senior also suffers from ill health. | He |
| has | diabetes | and | has recently | developed | a |
| calcified lymph node on | his neck which requires |
| treatment. He has | been | told | that | it | may | be |
| cancerous | and | should | be investigated | by | an |
| operation. | I' |
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The second-named appellant is an Australian citizen whose
parents and brothers and sisters also reside in Australia.
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| Accordingly, the first-named appellant, Mr K.T. | Tang, is married |
to an Australian citizen who, and whose family, lives in this
| country. His own parents | and | two | of | his | siblings | live | in |
Australia and are Australian citizens. Another brother may also
| live | in | Australia | but, | if | so, is | probably a prohibited |
| non-citizen. | I - |
| Mr K.T. | Owen, a delegate of the respondent, made decisions |
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| on 11 November 1985, refusing to grant resident status to Mr | K.T. |
| Tang pursuant to the provisions of | s s . 6 and 6A of the Misration | , . |
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| && | 1958 (Cth) and ordering his deportation pursuant to s.18 | of |
| the Misration Act | 1958 | (Cth). On | 19 November | 1985, Mr Owen |
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| supplied the following reasons for | his decisions | : |
| "13. On the basis of his marriage | to an Australian |
| I | citizen | the | applicant | was | eligible | for |
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consideration for the grant of a resident status
under the provisions of Section 6A(l)(b) of the
Act.
14. An opinion was sought from Resident Status Sub-section, who advised that the Migration Act
| and | migration | policy | provide | eligibility | for |
| consideration of the grant | of permanent resident |
| status for foreign | nationals who have married an |
| Australian resident but that | eligibility to apply |
| does not residence. In taking into account the interests of the Australian spouse and the resident family the opinion was given that the history of the | carry | an | automatic | entitlement | to |
| ! | applicant's | dealings | with | the | Department | and |
events leading to his status support refusal of
his application.
15. In forming the opinion on the application for
| resident | status | the | Resident | Status | section |
| considered the case in light | of the current policy |
| announced by the Minister in October | 1985. It was |
| accepted | that | the | applicant | had | married | an |
| Australian citizen on 24 September | 1985 and noted |
| that a defacto | relationship | had | existed | for |
approximately six months prior to the marriage. application for change of status to permanent
| resident for over | 2 | years, despite being fully |
| aware of | his prohibited non citizen status. In |
| relation to his parents health problems it | was |
| felt that the presence | of an older married brother |
in Australia would provide the necessary support.
It was recommended that the application be refused
and the a-pplicant be required to leave Australia
and be sponsored for migrant entry through normal
family migration channels.
| 16. In | considering | his | claims | the | following |
| factors were taken into account | : |
the applicant's marriage to an Australian
| citizen | on | 24 September 1985 was | not |
| contested but it was entered into when the applicant was illegally in Australia and it | L | ' |
| was | not | followed | by | an application | for |
| change of status until | 31 October 1985 after |
| the applicant's apprehension | as a | prohibited |
non-citizen at his place of employment on 25
October 1985.
| applicant | the | prohibited | became | a |
non-citizen on the expiry of his temporary
| entry permit on | 27 May 1983 and has breached | I |
the conditions of his entry by remaining in
Australia and engaging in employment without
| permission. | L |
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5.
| the illness of his parents | has | occurred |
since the applicant’s arrival in Australia
| but after the expiration of | his | temporary |
| entry permit. | I considered that it was not | I |
a mitigating circumstance in respect of the
| applicant’s | prohibited | non-citizen | status |
| over two years. | I further considered that |
| the | presence | of | other | immediate | family |
members legally in Australia would provide the support necessary for his mother.
| while | deportation | of | the | applicant | will |
| temporarily disrupt | his | relationship with |
his wife and his family it is possible for
| him | to | be | sponsored | as | spouse. | a | I |
considered that a temporary separation and
| the costs arising from return | home-to apply |
for migration in the normal manner were not
| mitigating | circumstances | to | be accorded |
significant weight.
17. After weighing these factors carefully in
| light | of | the | Ministers | policy | statement | in |
October, I decided to refuse the application for grant of permanent resident status.
| 18. In addition, I | formed the opinion that it is |
in the public interest to ensure that persons
abide by normal migration selection processes and
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| do not | queue-jump | by | entering | or | remaining |
| illegally | in | Australia | to | the | prejudice | of |
prospective migrants who abide by the procedures.
The presence of such queue-jumpers is inimical to
| Government control of immigration programs | as well |
| as | impacting | upon | job | availability | for legal |
| residents. I considered | that | prohibited | non- |
citizens should expect to face the prospect of
deportation when located unless there are strong
| countervailing reasons to allow them to remain. | I |
| considered that the applicants reasons | for wishing |
| to | remain |
| in compelling to warrant departure from the policy on deportation of prohibited non-citizens, and I accordingly decided to deport the applicant from | Australia | are | insufficiently |
| Australia. | ‘l |
Those decisions were subsequently affirmed by a delegate of the
| Minister but there were | no | separate reasons given for the |
affirmation and the matter proceeded before the learned trial review was to be determined by reference to the reasons given by
Mr Owen.
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| Sections 6 ( 2 ) , (3) and ( 6 ) of the Misration Act 1958 | (Cth) |
provide :
| " 6 . ( 2 ) An | officer may, in accordance with this |
section and at the request or with the consent of
| a non-citizen, grant to the non-citizen | an entry |
| i | permit. |
| ( 3 ) An entry permit shall be in a | form approved |
by the Minister and shall be expressed to permit
| . | Australia or to remain in Australia or both. | ||||||||
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| ! | (6) An entry permit that is intended to operate |
| as a temporary entry | *errnit shall be expressed to |
authorize the person to whom it relates to remain
in Australia for a specified period only, and such
a permit may be granted subject to conditions."
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Section 7(3) provides :
| " 7 . ( 3 ) Upon the expiration or cancellation | of | a |
| temporary entry permit, the person | who | was the |
| holder of the permit becomes a prohibited non- | I |
| citizen unless a | further entry permit applicable |
to him comes into force upon that expiration or
cancellation."
Section 18 provides :
| "18. The Minister may order the deportation of | a |
| person who is | a prohibited non-citizen under any |
provision of this Act."
| Mr K.T. | Tang entered Australia pursuant to a temporary |
entry permit. On the expiration of that temporary entry permit
| he became a prohibited | non-citizen. | He was a prohibited |
non-citizen when he was located by officers of the Department of
| Immigration and Ethnic Affairs on | 25 October 1985. | Therefore, |
the Minister was authorised to consider his deportation pursuant
to s.18.
| Once he had been located, Mr Tang applied for a | temporary |
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| entry permit and for permanent residence, that | in to say, for an |
| entry permit not limited in time. | The latter application brought |
into operation the provisions of s.6A of the Misration Act 1958
| (Cth) which read, inter | alia, |
"6A.(1) An entry permit shall not be granted to a
| non-citizen after his entry into Australia unless | ! |
| more fulfilled in respect of | of | the | following | conditions | is |
| one | or |
| him, that is to say | - |
| (a) | he has been granted, by instrument under the hand of a Minister, territorial asylum in Australia; | |
| ,o) | he is the spouse, child or aged parent of an | |
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. entry permit;
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| (c) | he is the holder of a temporary entry permit | |
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Status of Refugees that was done at Geneva on 28 July 1951 or of the Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees that was done at
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| (d) he | is the holder of a temporary entry permit |
| which is in | force, is authorized to work in |
| Australia | not | and | is | a | prescribed |
| non-citizen; | or |
| (e) he which is in force and there are strong compassionate or humanitarian grounds for | is the holder of a temporary entry permit |
| the grant of | an entry permit to | him. |
.....
| (8) In this section, | a | reference to an | entry |
permit shall be read as a reference to an entry permit other than a temporary entry permit."
Much of the evidence placed before the learned trial Judge
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| 4 | and | many | of | the | submissions | put | to | him | concentrated | attention |
4 upon the ill-health of the parents of Mr Tang, particularly that
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parents and siblings who are in Australia. In a lengthy and
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| careful judqme$t, the learned trial | Judge dealt with all these |
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| matters and fo4nd no | error in the decision-making process or in |
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| the reasons | f 02' | decision. |
I agree with the learned trial Judge that reliance by the
appellants upon-. what were said to be "strong compassionate or
humanitarian grounds" within the meaning of paragraph 6A(l)(e)
| was misplaced and this | for two reasons. In the first place, that |
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ground does not come into operation unless the applicant for the
| permit is the holder of | a valid temporary entry permit, which | MY |
| Tang was | not.. | It is not sufficient that an applicant can |
demonstrate that there are strong compassionate or humanitarian
grounds for his being granted an entry permit unlimited in time.
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| Parliament has added | an additional criterion, namely, that the |
| applicant for the permit | be the holder | of a temporary entry |
| permit which is | in | force. | Therefore, | proof | of | strong |
compassionate or humanitarian grounds is not of itself sufficient
for the application of paragraph (e).
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| It is not necessary | for me in this case to examine the |
| circumstances in which it may | be proper for the Minister to grant |
a temporary entry permit with a view to permitting consideration
of compassionate or humanitarian grounds. That matter may be
left for a case in which it is of importance. It is sufficient
for me to emphasise that proof of those grounds does not bring
| paragraph (e) into operation or require the grant | of a temporary |
| entry permit so | as to satisfy one of the criteria of paragraph |
| (e). |
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| The other reason why reliance upon paragraph | (e) | was | l |
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misplaced was that Mr Tang satisfied the provisions of paragraph
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(b) by reason of being the spouse of an Australian citizen. Therefore, it was unnecessary for Mr Tang to establish strong
| compassionate br | humanitarian | grounds. | Having | satisfied | the |
| criteria | of | paragraph | (b), | he was. | entitled | to | have | his |
application for permanent residence determined on its merits
whether or not such grounds existed.
| Nevertheless, there is one aspect of the matter on which | I |
| take a view dif€.erent | from that taken | by his Honour and, in this |
| respect, it is | my | opinion that the decision-makers fell into |
| error. |
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| The reasons given by Mr Owen, set out above, refer to | a |
policy that -
| 'I... | persons abide by normal migration selection |
| processes and | do not queue-jump by entering or |
| remaining illegally in Australia to the prejudice | ! |
| of prospective | migrants | who | abide | by | the |
| procedures. | " |
Mr Owen said,
"I considered that prohibited non-citizens should
expect to face the prospect of deportation when
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| ? | located | strong | countervailing | unless | are | there |
reasons to allow them to remain."
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| 3 | The learned trial Judge took the view that there | was | nothing |
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| unlawful about such a policy and said | : |
| I | 'I... | In the absence | of any provision in the statute |
to the contrary, it seems to me to be perfectly
proper for the Minister to take into account and,
| if he | deems | it | appropriate, | to | put | to | the |
forefront of his decision, considerations such as
| are mentioned in para.18 of the reasons of | 19 |
| November 1985. | . . . | " . |
10.
The result of the application of this policy was that
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decision-makers anticipated that Mr Tang would return to Taiwan!
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| and there make application | for | entry to Australia. Mr Owen: |
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appears to have taken the view that, on such application being/[
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| made, Mr | Tang would be granted | a permanent entry permit | and, |
indeed, that that would be granted to him with expedition. Mr
| Owen said, in paragraph | 16, |
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| "16. ... I | considered that a temporary separation |
and the costs arising from return home to apply
| for migration in the | normal | manner | were | not |
| mitigating circumstances accorded be to significant weight." |
| In my opinion, | such a result | and, indeed, the policy or |
| practice that led to | it, | is inconsistent with the legislative |
| policy enunciated in s.6A of the Misration Act | 1958 (Cth). | The |
various paragraphs in s.6A specifically distinguish between those
| cases in which the application for the entry permit ought not | to |
| be considered unless the applicant is the holder of | a temporary |
entry permit, and therefore legally in Australia, and those cases
| in which the application for an entry permit ought | to | be |
| considered notwithstanding that the applicant is | a | prohibited |
| non-citizen. Paragraph | (b) | makes it plain that an entry permit |
| may be granted to a person who is the spouse of | an | Australian |
| citizen, notwithstanding that that person is not the holder | of a |
| temporary entry permit. Paragraphs | (c), | (d) and (e), on the |
| other hand, stipulate that the applicant | for residency must hold |
| a temporary entry permit. By providing that | an entry permit nay |
| be granted to a person who | is | the spouse | of | an | Australian |
citizen, notwithstanding that he is not the holder of a permanent
| entry permit, ss.6 and | 6A | of the Miqration Act 1958 (Cth) |
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| necessarily imply that such a person may make application for | an |
| entry permit and that that application, once made, should be |
| considered on its merits. | I |
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The policy or practice, which was applied in the present
| case, of insisting that Mr Tang, the spouse of | an | Australian |
| citizen, should leave Australia, return to Taiwan and make | his |
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| application from that country was, therefore, in | my | opinion, |
| inconsistent with the intent and operation of ss.6 and | 6A of the |
| Miqration Act | 1958 | (Leh). Mr Tang satisfied the criteria for |
making application for the grant for permanent residence and his
application ought to have been considered on its merits. It is
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| plain from the reasons given by Mr Owen that it was not | SO |
| considered. |
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The decisions were therefore in error and should be set
| aside and the matter remitted | for re-consideration. |
| I do not suggest that, in such re-consideration, Mr Tang's | I |
| conduct in Australia will not | be a relevant factor to take into |
| account. | I agree with the observation | of the learned trial Judge | ! |
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| that the fact | Mr Tang is an illegal immigrant is of importance |
| and a matter which the Minister may properly take into account | in |
| dealing with Mr Tang's application. In my opinion, however, | s.6A |
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| intends that a person in Mr Tang's situation will be entitled to | , _ |
| make | application | for | permanent | residence | and | to | have | that |
| application considered on its merits notwithstanding that | he is a |
prohibited non-citizen. His conduct in Australia and his failure
to abide by Australia's migration laws are simply matters which
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2 ought to be taken into account In that re-consideration.
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I would add that, although this matter has not affected my
decision, the policy adumbrated by Mr Owen appears to me to be
1 inconsistent with the “Policy on Illegal Immigrants” tabled in the House of Representatives by the Minister for Immigration and
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| “The Migration Act and migration policy provide | i |
eligibility concessions for foreign nationals who
| have married | an Australian citizen or permanent |
| resident or who have | an Australian citizen child. |
| But e-ligibility to | applv for residence does not |
carry an automatic entitlement to residence. In
such circumstances, the interests of the resident
| fami.ly or child | are taken into account and are |
weighed, alons with other factors, in the eventual
decision.
| Marriage to an Australian | or the existence of | an |
| Australian citizen | child do not | confer upon | I |
| illegal | immigrants | the | right | to | choose | their |
| country of residence. | Each case will be treated |
| on its own merits. |
| Similar considerations apply in respect | of defacto |
| relationships. | “ |
| That section states expressly that, where there | is a marriage to |
an Australian citizen or permanent resident, the case will be
| treated on its | own merits. |
It was submitted by Mr Santamaria that the section must be
read with the remainder of the policy statement and therefore is
| subject to the general provisions earlier stated | : |
“People who wish to remain in Australia should do
| so | through the normal migration procedures and |
selection process overseas.
.....
| People who are in Australia | illegally, | whether |
| they entered without authorlty | or they overstayed | r |
13.
their entry permits, will not readily be given
| permanent | residence | while | they | remain | in |
| Australia. | ‘I |
| I | do not read the policy statement | as | incorporating these |
| provisions into the consideration of the position of a person | who |
| is married to | an Australian citizen or permanent resident. |
Indeed, to the contrary, the section appearing under the heading
| “Marriage“ refers | to the fact that the Act and the policy provide |
| for | such a person’s concessional | eligibility | to | apply | for |
residence.
It therefore appears to me that the policy applied by the
decision-makers in this case was not the policy enunciated by the
Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs and tabled in the
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| House in October 1985. | If I were wrong in this view, however, |
| and if the policy | as | tabled should be | read as placing persons |
| married to Australian citizens | or permanent residents in the same |
position as all others, then that policy would be inconsistent
| with the provisions of | ss.6 and 6A which, as I have said, require |
a distinction to be drawn.
| For these reasons, | I would allow the appeal with costs and |
I would substitute in lieu of the order made by the learned trial
Judge an order that the decisions under review be set aside and
| that | the | matter | be remitted | to | the | respondent | for | re- |
| consideration in accordance with law and an order that the respondent pay the costs of the appeal and of the proceedings below. | I certify that this and the | 12 |
preceding pages ore a true copy of the
reasons for ludgment herein of The Honour-
| able Mr. Justice | 5, 0 . k v i e s |
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| IN THE TDEFAL COTrPT OF kW?TF?FLIk | ) |
17G 292 of 1985
| ! | VICTOPIAN DISTRICT REGISTRY | 1 |
| G E I W A L | DIVISION | ) | t |
| ON APPEAL | F R O M THE |
| ~ | ~~~ | ~ | ~~~~~ |
HONOURABLE MR.
JrJSTICE SHEPPARD OF
THE FEDERAL COURT OF
ATJS'I'RALIA
| BETKEEN: | KHOI TRI TANG (Also known as CH1 | TZO TSENG) |
| and CANDICE MJI W 1 CH0 |
Appellants
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AND: THE HONOTJRABLE CMISTOPHER JOHN WRFORD,
| MINISTER OF STATE FOR IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC | ! |
- AFFAIRS
Respondent
FEASONS FOR JUDGMENT
| This is an appeal from a decision of | a single judge of |
| this | Court | In | which | an application | under | s .5 | of the |
Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977, (A.D.J.R. A c t ) to review certain decisions was dismissed. The subjects of
| the application were decisions made by the Minister. through his | i |
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| deleqate: | firstly, that th& first-named applicant not be qranted |
| an entry permit under s.6A of the | Micrration Act 1958: secondly, | L |
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that a deportation order be issued auainst him under 5.18 of the
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Act: and a subsequent affirmation of these decisions.
| There are two appellants: | Mr. Tang who is the subject |
| of the deportation order. and his wife. | I will, for the sake of |
| convenience. refer | to | the first-named appellant as simply "the |
| appellant". |
The appellant was born in Vietnam in 1957. and was
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| forced to flee | to Taiwan in 1975. | His parents remained | in |
| Ilietnam. | In 1979, the parents and a younger brother and sister |
| left Vietnam and became "boatpeople" and arrived | in Australia as |
| refuqees. | They were permitted to reside in Australia and became |
Australian citizens on the 16 February 1982. Another brother and sister of the appellant remained in Taiwan.
| The appellant entered Australia | on 30 March 1983 as | the |
| holder of | a visitor's visa and was granted | a temporary entry |
| permit which was valid | €or two weeks and was subject to the |
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| condition "employment prohibited without written permission of | an |
| authorised officer". On 4 April 1983. the appellant was granted | t |
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| a further temporary entry permlt until the 27 May 1983. Since | ! |
| the expiration of this permit, the appellant | has not obtained any |
| further permit. |
| After he came to | Australia, the appellant made contact |
with his parents and younqer brother and sister. who now reside
| in Melbourne. Durinu 1983, | his mother was hospitalised | €or heart |
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| disease and in 1984 | she suffered a stroke | as a result of which |
| she | remains | partially | paralysed; | she | is | described | as | being |
| dependent on others to look | after her. | The father suffers | from |
| diabetes and is also | being treated for a large growth below his | i |
| ,. |
| right jaw which is suspected of being cancerous. | The applicant's |
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younger siblinqs, who were born in 1970 and 1972 respectively, are both school children and reside with the parents. There is
also an older brother who is believed to live in Sydney, but with
whom the faFi1.y are not in contact.
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| The appellant was married to his wife, Candice, | on the |
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| 24 September '1985 after some months' cohabitation. | They had been |
| close friends in Vietnam, and Candice left Vietnam in | 1978 as a |
| boatperson. | She | came | to | Australia | in 1980 and | became an |
| Australian citizen on | 4 Map 1984. |
| The sequence | of | events | leading | to | the | decisions |
| challenged is | as follows. On the | 18 October | 1985. a policy |
(discussed below) concerninq illegal immigrants was tabled in
| I | Parliament. The appellant was arrested as a prohibited | ||
| c | non-citizen on the 25 October 1985 at the "Shark Fin Inn". where | ||
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| resident status to the Department of Immigration and Ethnic | |||
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| these recommendations | were adopted, an entry permit was refused |
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| and a deportation order signed by a delegate of the Minister. | On |
| that same day, a stay | of the deportation order was granted in |
| this Court. On | 19 November, a statement | of reasons was provided |
to the appellant in response to a request made under s.13 of the
| A.D.J.R. | Act. | Also | on that | day, | the | application | under | the |
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| same Act was made to | this Court. On the 22 November, there was a |
directions hearing in which observations were made concerning the
state of the material: it appears that these observations led to
| a reconsideration of the delegate's decision. | On 25 November, |
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| the appellant was interviewed | by a departmental officer while in |
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| ! | custody. On | -the same | day, there was a telephone conversation |
| between an officer | of | the | department | and | the | appellants' |
solicitor in which the solicitor was informed that the interview
had taken place and was asked whether any further submissions
would be made. The solicitor said that there would probably be
no further submissions until the hearing. The matter was then
| reconsidered by the department, and | on 27 November. the original |
decisions were confirmed. Northrop J. granted a further stay on
| 28 November 1985 and the substantive hearins took place on | 11 and |
| 12 December before Sheppard S. | Judgment was handed down on | 20 |
| December 1985 and in his reasons. Sheppard | J. extended the stay |
| to 10 | January 1986; | the department has since agreed that the |
appellant will not be deported pending this appeal.
The appellant based his application for an entry permit
| on two qrounds: firstly, that | he was married to an | Australian |
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| citizen. and secondly, the medical condition | of his parents and | I . |
| his concern for the welfare of his younger brother and sister. | : |
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| The Miaration Act,, s.6(2), provides for the issue | of an |
| entry permit to | a non-citizen and under | s.6(5). such a permit may |
| be granted to a non-citizen “subject | t o s.6A after he has entered |
| Australia | . . . “ . | i |
Section 6A(1), so far as is relevant. provides:
| “An | entry | permit | shall | not | be | granted | to | a |
| non-citizen after his | entry into Australia unless |
| one. or | more | of | the | following | conditions | is |
| fulfilled in respect | of him, that is to say | - |
| (a) | he has been granted, by instrument Gnder the | ||
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Australia:
| (b) he is the spouse, child or aged parent of | an |
Australian citizen or of the holder of an entry permit;
...
| ( e ) he is the holder of | A temporary entry permit |
| which | is | in | force | and | there | are | strong |
| compassionate or humanitarian grounds for | the |
| grant of an entry permit to | him. |
| It is immediately clear that par.(e) cannot assist | the |
| appellant since he was not. at the relevant time, a holder of | a |
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| I | temporary entry permit: | as mentioned above, | he has not held such |
| a permit since 27 May 1983. | The only | immediately | relevant |
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| provision of s.6A(1), then, is par.(b). Since Candice became | an |
Australian citizen and married the appellant before the question
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o€ granting an entry permit to the appellant most recently arose,
| par.[b) operates to exclude the appellant from the prohibition | i |
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| imposed by s.6A(1). | It should be noted that the appellant does |
not fall within (b) on the ground of being the child of an Australian citizen: that is so because "child" is so defined in
| s.6A(4) | as | to exclude the appellant.' However. that exclusion |
| does not appear to be of any relevance. It was enouqh that | the | I , |
appellant qualify for grant of an entry permit under par.(b), as
| he did: there was no need | for him to qualify twice. Further, |
| the special definition | of "child" for the purposes of s.6A | does |
not have the effect that the appellant is deemed not to have been
| a child for any | purpose of the Act; in particular, his being | a |
| child of Australian citizens was relevant to the exercise | of the |
| discretion whether | or not to | urant him an entry permit. |
| The appellant's | case | relates, | firstly, | the | to |
| implementation | of | policy | in | the | making | of | the | decisions: |
| i | questions are raised as | to lawfulness and the way | in which policy |
was applied. The second claim is that there was a denial of
natural justice.
| I | The application of two policies was debated, but | I find | , |
it necessary to deal only with one, namely a ministerial policy
| on illegal immigrants which | was | tabled in Parliament | on | 18 |
| October 1985. one week before the arrest of the appellant. | The |
following paragraphs appear in the introduction and form what is
| known as | the "queue-jumping policy" | : | I . |
7.
| "FQr many years the competition | for | migration | to |
| Australia has been | ~ e r v | stronu. | Most people are |
prepared to wait overseas and go through the normal selection processes including health and character checks. Unfortunately some people are not prepared
| to do this. | They | are | not | entitled | to | abuse |
| Australia's immiuration policy and laws | at | the |
expense of those waitinu overseas or at the expense
of unemployed Australian residents.
| It is not open to people from-anywhere | in the world |
| to decide, of their | own | volition, that they will |
| live permanently in Australia. | If, in attempting | i |
| to do so, | they break Australia's laws, they must |
| expect to face the | consequences. | including |
| prosecution | and | removal | from | Australia, | by | t |
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deportation if necessary.
| ... | j |
| 'Overstayed visitors', whatever their reasons. are unlawfully in Australia. Their status of illegal immigrants or 'prohibited non-citizens' is of their |
| own making and it must be recognised | as such. |
It is an accepted principle of justice and fairness
| that people should | not derive benefit from | an |
| illegal act immigration is no exception. Illeual immigrants | they | have | committed. | Illegal | ' |
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simply by having succeeded in entering or remaining
| in | Australia do not | earn a riuht | to | special |
privilege under migration policy, nor does their
| act of being in Australia | illegally | earn | them |
special rights of review which are not available to
| those who abide | by the rules and wait overseas." | I ' |
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| The policy | goes on to consider applications that are made to |
remain in Australia and Bays:
"The Miqration Act severely limits the circumstances
| r | under | which | people | illegally | in | Australia | can |
| change | their | immigration | status | to | permanent |
| resident. | These | limited | provisions | are | not | an |
| invitation for people | to | enter | Australia | as |
visitors. then seek permanent residence when they
| should | have applied and qualified overseas for |
entry as migrants In the usual way.
| If a | person illeually | in | Australia | makes | an |
| application to | remain in Australia, | it | will be |
| accepted | and processed | specifically | the | on | i |
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| understanding th+ the policies outlined in this | i ' |
paper wlll be apqlied ...
| If detention is 'iustified, the applicant will not | r |
be released simplk because an application has been
| Australia. considerations rezating to custody are to apply. People who are in Australia illegally, whether they | The | normal |
| made | to | remain1 | in |
| entered without authority | or they overstayed their |
entry permits, will not readily be given permanent
| residence while they remain in Australia. | - |
Their breaches of immigration law and requirements
| will weigh heavily against them | ..." |
| The | policy then lists circumstances which will weigh heavily |
| against the applicant | if they exist. These include "that the |
applicant entered Australia unlawfully: the applicant. although entering Australia lawfully, violated conditions of entry, such
| as working without permission: the period | of illegal residence | by |
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| the applicant." The policy continues: | I |
| "Changed circumstances advanced in support | of | an |
application to remain (e.g. development of ties in expiry of an entry permit, normally will be aiven little weight.
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A temporary separation and the costs arising from return home to apply for migration in the normal manner will not normally be reuarded as mitigating circumstances accorded significant weight.
In the case of applications to remain made after
| apprehension, it will be rare indeed that | illegal |
| immigrants will be granted permission | to remain in |
| Australia. | " |
| rJnder the heading "Marriage", | the policy states: |
| . | 9. |
| "The Micrration | Act | and migration policy provide |
eligibility concessions for foreign nationals who
have married an Australian citizen or permanent
resident or who have an Australian citizen child.
| But eliuibility to | awl? | for residence does not |
| carry an automatic entitlement to residence. | In |
such circumstances. the interests of the resident family or child are taken into account and are weighed, along with other factors, in the eventual
decision.
| Marriaqe to an Australian or | the existence of an |
| Australian citizen child | do not confer upon illegal |
| immigrants the | right to choose their country | of |
| residence. | Each | case will be treated on its | own |
| merits. |
| iThe words underlined are | so emphasised in the statement.) |
| It is clear from | the statement | of reasons referred to |
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| above that the deleqate gave the policy considerable weight. | In |
| paragraph 15 of the reasons given on the 19 November 1985. it | was |
| said: |
| "In | forminq the opinion on the application | for |
| resiQent | status | the | resident | status | section |
| consi'dered the case in light | of the current policy |
| l | announced by the Minister in October 1985." |
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| The factors that the reasons list | as | having been taken into |
account are clearly referable to statements in the policy. These
include the applicant's marriaqe having been entered into when
| the applicant was illegally in Australia: that an application | for |
| change of status was not submitted until the 31 October 1985. |
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| after the applicant's apprehension | as a prohibited non-citizen on |
| the 25 October 1985: the fact that the illness of | his | parents |
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occurred since the applicant's arrival in Australia but after the
| expiration of his temporary entry permit: | and, most importantly, |
%he observation that a temporary separation and the costs arising
from return home to apply for migration in the normal manner were
not mitigating circumstances to be accorded significant weight.
Paragraph 17 states:
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"After weighing these factors carefully in light of
| the | Minister's | policy | statement | in | October, | I |
| decided to refuse the application for | grar.; | of |
| permanent resident status." |
| a | The final parauraph says: |
| "In addition. I formed the opinion | that it is in the |
| public interest | to ensure that persons abide by |
normal migration selection processes and do not
| queue-jump by entering | or | remaining illegally in |
Australia to the prejudice of prospective migrants who abide by the procedures. The presence of such queue-jumpers is inimical to Government control of
| immigration programs as well as impacting upon | job |
| availability | for | legal | residents. | I considered |
that prohibited non-citizen5 should expect to face
i. the prospect of deportation when located unless there are strong countervailing reasons to allow
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| reasons for wishing to remain in Australia are | ||||||
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| the applicant from Australia." | ||||||
| The appellants argue that the policy is unlawful, that |
| it led to an exercise of discretionary power | at the direction or |
behest of another person, that the policy was applied inflexibly
without a consideration of the merits of the case. and that it
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involved the taking into account of irrelevant considerations and
the exclusion of relevant considerations.
Mr. Dwyer Q.C. for the appellants argues that the policy
| is unlawful because it is inconsistent | with | the Act | and in |
| particular with s.6A(l)(b). | He arques that this paragraph sets |
| aside marriaqe as | a specific and therefore important ground under |
| which persons in Australia without temporary entry permits may | be |
qranted an entry permit and that. Ynerefore, it is inconsistent
to apply the queue-jumping policy to persons applying under this
| sectlon. Mr. | Dwyer concedes that this argument is pertinent only |
| I f | the | view 'is | taken that the whole of the policy is to be |
| applied to cases under s.6A(l)(b). | The | other reading is that |
only what appears in the policy under the heading "Marriage" is
| to | be applied to cases under s.6A(l)(b); if | so, | Mr. | Dwyer |
submits, the policy was applied wrongly because not only what
appears under that heading, but also the queue-jumping policy and
related aspects, were applied.
| It is now well established that where | a | statutory |
discretion exists, and where the statute itself does not specify
| the | way | in | which | the | discretion | is to | be | exercised, | the |
decision-maker is entitled to formulate a policy in relation to
| of Authoritv, Ex Partn Kvnoch Limited (1919) | that | discretion. | - | R | v. | Port | of | London |
| the | exercise |
1 K.B. 176; Schmidt V.
| Secretary | of | State, | Home | Affairs | (1969) 2 Ch. 149; | British |
| Oxvqen Company v. Board | of Trade (1971) A . C . | 610; Saqnata Limited |
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| v. Norwich Corporakion (1971) 2 Q.B. | 614; Re Drake No. 2 2 A.L.D. |
| 634: | Leqal Services Commission v. Stephens (1981) | 2 | N.S.W.L.R. |
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697.
| In Re Drake (above). Brennan | J. set out the limits upon |
| the formulation and application of | a policy: |
| 'I... | a policy must be consistent with the statute. It must allow the Minister to take into account the | |||||
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| take into account irrelevant circumstances. and it | ||||||
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| t | - | Act if the Minister's policy sought to preclude | ||||||
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| to an adopted policy which might be reasonably | ||||||||
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| cannot be so truncated by a policy as to preclude consideration of the merits of Specified classes of | ||||||||
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| objectionable. even though it were adopted by the | ||||||||
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| control? the makinu of decisions, a policy which is informartive of the standards and values which the Minister usually applies. There is a distinction | ||||||||
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| The distinction between guiding the making of decisions, | on the | I |
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| one hand, and controlling them, on the other, is one of | degree | I . |
| and not of kind. The ultimate question is whether there | has been |
| "an exercise of a | discretionary power in accordance with a rule |
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| or policy without regard to the merits | of | the particular case" |
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| ( s . 5 ( 2 . ) ( f ) of the Judicial Review Act. | I |
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| L | The | discretion in | question | here | conferred | is | by | s . 6 | 12) | r |
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| " | of the Miqration Act, under which | a non-citizen may be granted | an |
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| entry permit. | The Act gives no express indication | as to how the |
discretion is to be exercised: it does not specify considerations
| to be taken into account nor say what will be strong reasons | for |
| granting an entry | permit. | An important | question | raised | is |
whether the policy statement lawfully fills the qap.
Before saying more about that, however, it is necessary
| to deal with | the argument that only the paragraphs in the policy |
| with respect to | marriage should be | applied to applicants under |
s.6A(l)(b), because these paragraphs appear under the separate
heading "Marriage". That contention has been accepted by my
| brother Davies, whose reasons | I | have read, but | I cannot, with |
| respect, concur. There is | a paragraph on p.8 of the policy | which |
| reads | : |
"The Miuration Act severely limits the circumstances
| under | which | people | illegally | in | Australia | can |
| change | their | immigration | status | to | permanent |
resident.
| It then uoes on to talk about "These limited provisions | . | . ." |
| Because | it | deals | with | people | illegally | in | Australia. | this |
paragraph could only be referring to applicants under s.6A(l)(a)
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and (b) and there is nothinu to suogest that it contemplates only
| the former. That | is. | the passage just mentioned suggests that |
the part of the policy not under the heading "Marriage" is
| intended to be applied to applicants relying | on s.6A(l)(b) and |
the part of the policy under the heading "Marriage" does not
| . | purport to deal exhaustively with those | in that category. As |
| against that. the "Marriage" section is | so framed as to convey |
| the notion that marriage to | an | Australian citizen gives some |
| expectation | of | favourable | consideration | even | to | illegal |
immigrants, whereas the general part of the policy says illegal
immigrants "will not readily be given permanent residence while
they remain in Australia" and makes other remarks to similar
| effect. | In trying to understand the policy | so far as it relates |
| to this case, the sentence "Each case will be treated on its | own |
| merits". | immediately | following | reference | to | marriage | of | an |
| : | illegal immigrant to | an Australian. might be thought to create | a |
| difficulty. The sentence just quoted, read in isolation, may be argued to mean that applications from illegal immigrants who | are |
| married to Australians will be considered | in the light of | the |
| individual circumstances of each applicant rather than. | as | one |
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| would | gather | from | the | general | part | of | the | policy, | being |
practically doomed at the outset. Treatment of the appellant's
case "on its own merits" without a strong predeliction to deport
him as an illegal immigrant could hardly have led to the
decisions being attacked.
| The | better view appears to be that the reference to |
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| treatinu cases | of | marriaue to | an | Australian on their merits |
| should, construinq the document | as | a | whole. | be | read | down, |
| treatinu the other relevant parts of the policy | as dominant. | I |
think it unlikely that the draftsman of the policy intended that
the strictures mentioned elsewhere in the policy should not apply
to those cases dealt with under "Marriage".
| It follows that. | in my view, the delegate applied the |
| policy correctly | in this respect. That is. the delegate was |
| right in thinking that, | for example, the appellant was caught by |
the statement in the policy:
| "In the case of applications to remain made | after |
apprehe,nsion. it will be rare indeed that illeual
immigrants will be granted permission to remain in
Australia."
| However, even if the delegate had misread the policy | in this |
| respect (as he | did not, in | my view) that would not in itself |
vitiate his decision. Misapplication of a policy setting out the
| way in which discretions under | a statute are to be exercised | is |
not necessarily a breach of the statute: to act inconsistently
with a policy having no statutory force is not necessarily such
| an error as is spoken of | in 9.5 of the Judicial Review Act. |
The question whether the policy is inconsistent with the
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| Act. insofar | as it has been applied | to | the appellant's case. |
| depends in the first instance upon whether | it, | to adapt the |
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| lanquage of Brennan J. | quoted above. merely guides and does not |
| control the making of the decisions | in question: I take the word |
| "control" to refer, | in the context. to such a constraint on the |
| exercise of | a discretion uiven by | a | statute as to make that |
| exercise illusory | - converting the discretion to application of | a |
fixed rule having no parliamentary authority.
In s.6A(1). Parliament has dealt with two categories of
| non-citizens. Those in pars.(a) and | (b) are to be distinguished |
| from those mentioned | in | the balance of the sub-section: the |
| former may be qranted | an | entry permit althouuh they hold no | i |
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| temporary entry permit. The effect of the policy, if faithfully | I |
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| applied by the | relevant | officials. | will | be | that | those | in |
categories (a) and (b) will usually be refused an entry permit:
| to use the language of | one part of the policy, they "will not |
| readily | be | given | permanent | residence | while | they | remain | in |
| Australia". | As to one sub-category, the policy is particularly |
| strict: "In | the | case | of | applications | to remain | after |
apprehension, it will be rare indeed that illegal immigrants will
| be qranted permission to remain in Australia". It was | contended |
that the policy should discriminate. in dealing with non-citizens
| in Australia without | a temporary entry permit. in favour of those |
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mentioned in pars. (a) and (b) of s.6A(1).
| The authorities say that | a policy of this kind does not |
| entail any illegality as long as it genuinely leaves the door | I |
| open for exceptional cases; what Parliament has given | as | a |
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| dlscretion | cannot | be | transformed | into | an | absolute | rule | bv |
administrative fiat. It is my view that the policy in question,
| so far as relevant to this case. passes the test | of validity | I |
| have mentioned. Further, | l | cannot see that it | is | necessarlly |
| implicit in s.6(A)ll)(a) and | (h) that Parliament requlred the |
| I | s . 6 r 2 ) discretion | to | be | exercised in a particular | way: | it | has |
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I. merely said that except In certain instances the discretion
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| I turn | next | to | the | question | whether | relevant |
| considerations were left out | of account. |
| Under | this headmu. only two | points | need | to | be |
| considered. | The first | is | whether the deleuate failed to take |
| account of the fact that the appellant‘s parents and two siblinqs | ! |
| were | Australian citizens. Certificates of Citizenship of the |
appellant’s wife and father were attached to the application for
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| resident status sent on | 31 October 1985. | In the list of material |
on which the findinas were based. included in the statement of reasons supplied on 19 November 1985. there is a copy of the
| Certificate of Citizenship €or the appellant’s wife, | but no |
| mention of the parents’ certificate. | Also. | somewhat curiously, |
| while the wife is referred to | as an Australian citizen in | the |
| reasons. the parents and the younger brother and sister | are | I |
| referred to merely as “permanent residents“. |
| Althouuh | the | contrary | was argued, the | contrast of |
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lanuuaae and omission of the documents iust referred to make it
seem probable. in mv opinion. that the delegate either failed to
| notice. or failed | to attach any importance to, the fact of the |
citizenship of the parents.
| Mere errors of fact and degree | by the decision-maker are |
not necessarily enough to enliven this Court's jurisdlction under
| the Judicial Review Act: see | Koh Ah So0 v. Tuchin (unreported. |
| 3 0 April 19861, | a decision of Beaumont | J. | It is not hard to |
| find, in this area, | similar | judicial | exhortations | not | to |
| interfere too readily. Not everything which is to | be found in a |
| statement of reasons needs to be indisputably correct. either | as |
| to fact or | law. | for the reasons to survive attack under | the |
| Judicial Review Act. | The decisions point towards the view that |
only fairly clear and significant errors are to be regarded as
| grounds on which | an order may be made under 9.16. |
| An examination of recent statutes shows that the | law |
| currently | attaches | considerable | weiqht | to | the | concept | of |
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| Australian citizenship. The Misration Act itself is an | example. |
Prior to 1948, when the Australian Citizenship Act became law, the only national status which Australians possessed was that of
| British subject. | Now, | although there is still much legislation |
| in this country which retains the notion | of being | a British |
| subject as a nationality qualification, Australian citizenship | is |
constantly assuming greater legal importance. For example, under
| recent amendments to the Commonwealth Electoral Act | 1918, Members |
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of Parliament and voters must be Australian citizens: under the
| ! | Public | Service | Reform | Act | of | 1984, | only | Australian | citizens | may |
| I | be appointed as public servants. |
| L |
Takinq a broader view, it is obvlously right that
| holding citizenship in | our nation should be regarded | as a matter |
| of importance. bringing with | it special rights and obligations. |
| I am tempted | to | say | that | the | decision | mal:zr | has |
overlooked a relevant matter and to infer that. had he not done
so, his decision miqht well have been otherwise: after all. it
seems a strong thing to deport an apparently respectable son of
Australian citizens, married to an Australian citizen, and with
| an Australian brother and sister. | all living in this country. |
| With | considerable | hesitation. | however. | I have | come | to | the |
| conclusion that the deleuate's mistake | in this respect was not of |
| sufficient importance to warrant | an | order in favour of the |
| appellant. Lookina at the reasons as | a whole. he appears to have |
been animated mainly by the considerations that the appellant had
| lonq run out of entry permits and had been apprehended. | in |
consequence of which it was thought that the policy almost
compelled deportation. except in quite unusual circumstances.
| The second point to | be considered under this head is | a |
| statement referred | to above in another context: par.16 of the |
reasons of 19 November 1985 says:
2 0 .
"While deportation of the applicant must temporarily
| disrupt his relationship with his wife and | his |
| family it is possible for | him to be sponsored as a |
| spouse. I consider that a temporary separation and the costs arisinu from return home to apply | for |
migration in the normal manner were not mitigating circumstances to be accorded significant weight."
| The implication one would take from this is that | the |
| separation is likely to be of such length as to | be, in truth, |
| only an inconvenience - a disadvantage comparable | with the |
| necessity of paying another air fare. | It | was argued that the |
| repeated | reference | temporariness | to | was | a | complete |
| misapprehension. on | an | important point, on the part of the |
| rleleqate. In the very document on | which he | placed | so | much |
reliance, the Policy on Illegal Immigrants, under the heading
"Limitation on return to Australia". the true position is to be
| found. | The effect of this part of the policy is | that being an |
illegal immiurant "can militate against favourable consideration
| of re-entry requests". and there are set out time limits | for |
| re-entry. | They are not inflexible: readmission inside the time |
limits "may be given in exceptional circumstances". However, the
prima facie limit applicable to the appellant is five years from
the date of departure.
| The delegate has, no doubt rightly, had regard | to the |
possibility that the appellant's wife and parents may not choose
| to leave Australia because of his deportation. But insofar | as |
the delegate appeared to reason that in that case the disruptive
separation from wife and family would only be temporary and not
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| of | "sianlficant | welght", it appears to me that | he | fell into |
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substantial error. The policy makesl'it clear that there is no
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| guarantee that the appellant would ever be readmitted. even if | ! ' |
| there were | no consideration auainst his application in that |
behalf other than those appearing in the reasons under review.
| Further, he is faced, | unless | he | ' | can | show "exceptional |
circumstances". with the five year limit mentioned.
| Perhaps '-?-e | delegate intended by this passage to do no |
| more than intimate that | an applicatlon for re-entry after five |
| years would be favourably viewed, or that | he saw | in the case |
| exceptional circumstances such | as | to justify waiver of the |
five-year limit. But the reasons cannot be defended on that
| basis. | It | would not be a proper exercise of discretion | for a |
| delegate. while declining | to | flnd anything exceptional in the |
case to warrant the grant of an entry permit despite the policy,
| nevertheless to anticipate | others | seeing | exceptional |
circumstances justifying early re-entry.
It must be added that the origin of the passage which
has, in my view, proved fatal to the decision, is clear enough; similar lanuuage is to be found in the policy itself on p.10. It is not easy to envisage practical circumstances in which that
passage could properly guide a decision-maker. but there may be
| some: it | is enouqh for present purposes to say that insofar | as |
%he decision in question here relied upon the view that there
| would | be a merely | temporary | separation | and | one | not | of |
2 2 .
| "significant weiqht", it | was in | error In failing to take into |
| i | account the strict barriers against re-entry. |
It may be convenient to summarjse the views expressed
above. I have considered, but found it unnecessary to state my
| views on, the allegatlons of breach of the rules | of natural |
| justice. |
1. So far as applicable to the appellant, the Policy on Illegal
Immigrants is not invalid as being inconsistent with the
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| to such an applicant as is mentioned in s.6A(l)(b) of the Micrration Act. |
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2. The decision-maker appears to have fallen into error in not
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| citizens: that is not, in the whole of the circumstances. a sufficiently significant mistake to justify review. | ||||||||
| 3 . |
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| Australia without them, would be temporary only; the policy he was applying required the prima facie assumption that. if |
| l | the appellant were ever allowed to re-enter. that would not occur for five years. |
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I would allow the appeal with costs and substitute for
| the | order made | bv the learned trlal | iudqe | an order that the |
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| decisions under review be | set | aside | and | that the matter he |
| rPmltted for reconsideration. | I would also order the respondents |
| to pay the costs of the hearinu before the learned trlal | iudge. |
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| IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA | ) | ||
| VICTORIAN DISTRICT REGISTRY |
| ||
| GENERAL DIVISION | 1 |
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| ON APPEAL FROM THE | I |
| HONOURABLE MR. |
| .~~~ | ~ | ~ |
JUSTICE SHEF'PARD OF
| THE FEDERAL | COURT OF |
| AUSTRALIA |
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| BETWEEN: | KHOI TRI TANG (Also known as CH1 | TZO | TSENG | 1 |
| and CANDICE HUI NHI CH0 |
Appellants
| AND : | THE HONOWSLE CHRISTOPHER JOHN m E ' O R D , | |
| MINISTER OF STATE FOR IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC | ||
|
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Respondent
CORRIGENDA
| Amendment to the judgment of Evatt, Dames and Pincus JJ. dated | 4 |
| July 1986 - |
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| Under "Catchwords", final authority | "Kohn Ahsoo v. Tuchin" should |
| read "Koh Ah So0 v. Tuchin". |
j5L-d 'c$-.
J.A. Lyons
| Associate to Pincus | J. | i |
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