Tomes and Child Support Registrar (Child support)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) considered an application by Tomes for an extension of time to object to a decision made by the Child Support Registrar. The Registrar had refused to grant this extension, and Tomes sought to have that refusal reviewed by the AAT.

The primary legal issue before the AAT was whether the Registrar had erred in refusing to grant Tomes an extension of time to lodge an objection. This required the Tribunal to consider whether Tomes had provided a satisfactory explanation for the significant delay in lodging the objection and whether the objection itself had an arguable case on its merits.

The Tribunal affirmed the Registrar's decision, finding that Tomes had not offered a satisfactory explanation for the extensive delay in lodging the objection. Furthermore, the Tribunal concluded that the proposed objection lacked arguable merit. Consequently, the AAT determined that the Registrar had correctly exercised their discretion in refusing the extension of time.