Azimitabar v Commonwealth of Australia

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Judgment Date: 06 July 2023
• Neutral Citation: [2023] FCA 760
• Date: 06 July 2023
• Court: Federal Court

Federal Court of Australia

Azimitabar v Commonwealth of Australia [2023] FCA 760

File number:	VID 177 of 2021
Judgment of:	MURPHY J
Date of judgment:	6 July 2023
Catchwords:	MIGRATION – applicant transferred to Australia for psychiatric assessment and treatment and detained in a hotel – whether subpara (b)(v) of the definition of “immigration detention” in s 5(1) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) empowered Minister to approve ‘another place’ of immigration detention – whether power in subpara (b)(v) of the definition of “immigration detention” to approve ‘another place’ of immigration detention was impliedly limited such that it did not include power to approve a de facto detention centre – whether hotels were lawfully approved as places of immigration detention – whether the applicant’s detention in the hotels was unlawful. ; CONSTITUTIONAL LAW – whether lawfulness of immigration detention depends upon whether expenditure on the place of detention is properly authorised – whether the Commonwealth’s contracting and expenditure on the hotels as places of immigration detention was lawfully authorised by executive power under s 61 of the Constitution – whether the Commonwealth’s contracting and expenditure on the hotels as places of immigration detention was lawfully authorised by s 32B of the Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Act 1997 (Cth) and regulations
Legislation:	Constitution s 61 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) ss 37AF, 37AG Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Act 1997 (Cth) s 32B Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Act (No 3) 2012 (Cth) Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 (Cth) Migration Act 1958 (Cth) ss 5, 14, 46A, 46B, 48B, 92, 93, 189, 196, 197AB, 198AD, 198AH, 198B, 198C, 253, 273, 496 Migration Amendment (Unauthorised Maritime Arrivals and Other Measures) Act 2013 (Cth) s 5AA Migration Legislation Amendment Act 1989 (Cth) ss 5G, 59, 92, 93 Migration Amendment Act 1992 (Cth) ss 3A, 11, 38, 54L, 54K, 54W, 54ZD, 54Z Migration Reform Act 1992 (Cth) Migration Legislation Amendment Act 1994 (Cth) ss 4, 189, 196, 198 Financial Management and Accountability Regulations 1997 (Cth) Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Regulations 1997 (Cth) reg 16 Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) reg 2.43
Cases cited:	Alcan (NT) Alumina Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Territory Revenue (NT) [2009] HCA 41; 239 CLR 27 Anthony Hordern & Sons Ltd v Amalgamated Clothing & Allied Trades Union of Australia [1932] HCA 9; 47 CLR 1 Attorney-General (Cth) v Oates [1999] HCA 35; 198 CLR 162 Attorney-General (SA) v Corporation of the City of Adelaide [2013] HCA 3; 249 CLR 1 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Valve Corporation (No 5) [2016] FCA 741 Aye v Minister for Immigration [2010] FCAFC 69; 187 FCR 449 AZC20 v Minister for Home Affairs [2021] FCA 1234 B v Secretary, Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs [2004] FCA 699 Behrooz v Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs [2004] HCA 36; 219 CLR 486 Bianca Hope Rinehart v Georgina Hope Rinehart [2014] FCA 1241 Burns Philp & Co Ltd v Murphy (1993) 29 NSWLR 723 BXT17 v Minister for Home Affairs [2021] FCAFC 9; 283 FCR 248 Byrne v Garrison [1965] VR 523 Chiropractors Association v WorkCover Corporation [1999] SASC 470; 75 SASR 374 Chu Kheng Lim v Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs and Anor [1992] HCA 64; 176 CLR 1 Commonwealth of Australia v AJL20 [2021] HCA 21; 273 CLR 43 Computer Interchange Pty Ltd v Microsoft Corporation (1999) 88 FCR 438; [1999] FCA 198 Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs v Mastipour [2004] FCAFC 93; 259 FCR 576 Fairfax Digital Australia and New Zealand Pty Ltd v Ibrahim and Ors [2012] NSWCCA 125; 83 NSWLR 52 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd [2007] HCA 22; 230 CLR 89 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd [2012] HCA 55; 250 CLR 503 Gibb v Federal Commissioner of Taxation [1966] HCA 74; 118 CLR 628 Graham v Minister for Immigration [2018] FCA 1012; 265 FCR 634 Highstoke Pty Ltd v Hays Knight GTO Pty Ltd [2007] FCA 13; 156 FCR 501 Hill v Zuda Pty Ltd [2022] HCA 21; 401 ALR 624 Hogan v Australian Crime Commission (2010) 240 CLR 651; [2010] HCA 21 HongKong Bank of Australia Ltd v Australian Securities Commission [1992] FCA 376; 40 FCR 402 Kelly v The Queen [2004] HCA 12; 218 CLR 216 McCulloch v State of Maryland 17 US 316 (1819) Mercantile Mutual Life Insurance Co v Australian Securities Commission [1993] FCA 77; 40 FCR 409 Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Mayer [1985] HCA 70; 157 CLR 290 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs v Nystrom [2006] HCA 50; 228 CLR 566 Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs v AZC20 [2022] FCAFC 52; 290 FCR 149 (AZC20 FC) Moreton Bay Regional Council v Mekpine Pty Ltd [2016] HCA 7; 256 CLR 437 NEAT Domestic Trading Pty Ltd v AWB Ltd [2003] HCA 35; 216 CLR 277 New South Wales v TD [2013] NSWCA 32; 83 NSWLR 566 Pape v Federal Commissioner of Taxation [2009] HCA 23; 238 CLR 1 Penola & District Ratepayers’ & Residents’ Association Inc v Wattle Range Council [2011] SASFC 62; 110 SASR 110 Plaintiff M76/2013 v Minister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship [2013] HCA 53; 251 CLR 322 Plaintiff S4/2014 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2014] HCA 34; 253 CLR 219 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority [1998] HCA 28; 194 CLR 355 Re-Excel Finance Corporation Ltd; Worthley v England [1994] FCA 551; 52 FCR 69 Saeed v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2010] HCA 23; 241 CLR 252 San v Rumble (No 2) [2007] NSWCA 259 SBEG v Commonwealth of Australia [2012] FCAFC 189; 208 FCR 235 (SBEG FC) SBEG v Secretary, Department of Immigration and Citizenship (No 2) [2012] FCA 569 (SBEG (No 2)); 292 ALR 29 Smethurst v Commissioner of Police [2020] HCA 14; 272 CLR 177 Thomas v Mowbray [2007] HCA 33; 233 CLR 307 VLAH v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs [2002] FCA 1554 Wilkie v The Commonwealth [2017] HCA 40; 263 CLR 487 Williams v Commonwealth of Australia [2012] HCA 23; 248 CLR 156 Williams v Commonwealth of Australia [2014] HCA 23; 252 CLR 416 X7 v Australian Crime Commission [2013] HCA 29; 248 CLR 92
Division:	General Division
Registry:	Victoria
National Practice Area:	Administrative and Constitutional Law and Human Rights
Number of paragraphs:	306
Date of hearing:	19-20 July 2022
Counsel for the Applicant:	Ms L De Ferrari SC and Mr J Hartley
Solicitor for the Applicant:	Marque Lawyers
Counsel for the Respondent:	Mr G Hill SC, Mr A Yuile and Ms K McInnes
Solicitor for the Respondent:	Australian Government Solicitor

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