Davis v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Judgment Date: 23 November 2021
• Neutral Citation: [2021] FCAFC 213
• Date: 23 November 2021
• Court: Full Federal Court (Australia)

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Davis v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2021] FCAFC 213

Appeal from:	Davis v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCA 791 DCM20 v Secretary, Department of Home Affairs [2020] FCA 1022
File numbers:	VID 399 of 2020 NSD 831 of 2020
Judgment of:	KENNY, BESANKO, GRIFFITHS, MORTIMER AND CHARLESWORTH JJ
Date of judgment:	23 November 2021
Catchwords:	MIGRATION – appeals from orders dismissing applications for judicial review – where the appellants each made applications for Ministerial intervention under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) – where the Minister had issued Guidelines to officers prescribing the circumstances in which such requests are to be brought to his attention – where officers concluded the requests for intervention did not satisfy the criteria for referral in the Guidelines and so refused to refer the requests to the Minister – nature of the officers’ decisions – whether the officers’ decisions were judicially reviewable by the Federal Court of Australia – whether the decisions were judicially reviewable on the ground of legal unreasonableness – whether the decisions were affected by legal unreasonableness – appeals dismissed
Legislation:	Constitution ss 61, 64, 75, Ch III Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth) ss 19, 19A Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 (Cth) ss 8, 16 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 28 Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) ss 39B, 78B Migration Act 1958 (Cth) ss 4, 5, 13, 14, 31, 37, 48A, 48B, 116, 189, 195A, 198, 349, 351, 417, 474, 476, 476A, 499, 501J, 504 Migration Amendment (Clarifying International Obligations for Removal) Act 2021 (Cth) Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) Sch. 2, cl. 050.212
Cases cited:	Abebe v Commonwealth (1999) 197 CLR 510 Alfred v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCA 457 Animals Angels e.V. v Secretary, Department of Agriculture [2014] FCAFC 173; 228 FCR 35 Argos Pty Ltd v Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development [2014] HCA 50; 254 CLR 394 Attorney-General (Cth) v Ogawa [2020] FCAFC 180; 281 FCR 1 Attorney-General (NSW) v Quin [1990] HCA 21; 170 CLR 1 Australian Communist Party v Commonwealth (1951) 83 CLR 1 Aye v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2010] FCAFC 69; 187 FCR 449 Bank of New South Wales v The Commonwealth (1948) 76 CLR 1 BAQ21 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2021] FCA 369 Bedlington v Chong (1998) 87 FCR 75 Broadbridge v Stammers (1987) 16 FCR 296 Bunbury v Fuller [1853] 156 ER 47 Civil Aviation Safety Authority v Central Aviation Pty Ltd (2009) 179 FCR 554 Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service [1985] 1 AC 374 CPK20 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCA 825 Davis v Commonwealth [1988] HCA 63; 166 CLR 79 Davis v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCA 791 DCM20 v Secretary, Department of Home Affairs [2020] FCA 1022 DUE20 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCA 1187 Hossain v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2018] HCA 34; 264 CLR 123 Jabbour v Secretary, Department of Home Affairs [2019] FCA 452; 269 FCR 438 Jarratt v Commissioner of Police (NSW) [2005] HCA 50; 224 CLR 44 Kioa v West [1985] HCA 81; 159 CLR 550 Kruger v Commonwealth [1997] HCA 27; 190 CLR 1 Mason v Ryan (1884) 10 VLR (L) 335 Miller v Prime Minister [2016] UKSC 3; [2020] AC 373 Minister for Arts, Heritage and Environment v Peko-Wallsend Ltd (1987) 15 FCR 274 Minister for Home Affairs v DUA16 [2020] HCA 46; 385 ALR 212 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v Singh [2014] FCAFC 1; 231 FCR 437 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v Stretton (2016) 237 FCR 1 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZSSJ [2016] HCA 29; 259 CLR 180 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZVFW [2018] HCA 30; 264 CLR 541 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v Li [2013] HCA 18; 249 CLR 332 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZIAI (2009) 111 ALD 15 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZMDS (2010) 240 CLR 611 Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Conyngham (1986) 11 FCR 528 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Yusuf (2001) 206 CLR 323 Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs v Gray (1994) 50 FCR 189 MZAPC v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2021] HCA 17; 390 ALR 590 O’Sullivan v Farrer (1989) 168 CLR 210 Osborn v Parole Board [2013] UKSC 61 Petrotimor v Companhia de Petroleos SARL v Commonwealth [2003] FCAFC 3; 126 FCR 354 Plaintiff M61/2010E v Commonwealth [2010] HCA 41; 243 CLR 319 Plaintiff M64/2015 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2015] HCA 50; 258 CLR 173 Plaintiff M68/2015 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2016] HCA 1; 257 CLR 42 Plaintiff M79/2012 v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (2013) 252 CLR 336 Plaintiff S10/2011 v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2012] HCA 31; 246 CLR 636 Plaintiff S157/2002 v Commonwealth [2003] HCA 2; 211 CLR 476 ; Plaintiff S28/2018 v Minister for Home Affairs [2018] HCATrans 168 Plaintiff S330/2018 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs [2019] HCATrans 28 R v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Ex parte Everett [1989] QB 811 R v Toohey; Ex parte Northern Land Council [1981] HCA 74; 151 CLR 170 R v Trade Practices Tribunal; ex parte Tasmanian Breweries Pty Ltd (1970) 123 CLR 361 Raikua v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs [2007] FCA 370; 158 FCR 510 Re Ditfort; ex parte Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (1988) 19 FCR 347 Re Drake v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (No 2) [1979] AATA 179; 2 ALD 634 Re Judiciary Act 1903-1920, & Navigation Act 1912-1920 (1921) 29 CLR 257 Re Macks; Ex parte Saint (2000) 204 CLR 158 Re McBain; Ex parte Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (2002) 209 CLR 372 Re Refugee Review Tribunal; ex parte Aala [2000] HCA 57; 204 CLR 82 Rooke’s Case (1597) 5 Co Rep 99b Sharp v Wakefield [1891] AC 173 Tang v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (2013) 217 FCR 55 Thomas v Mowbray [2007] HCA 33; 233 CLR 307 Truth About Motorways Pty Ltd v Macquarie Infrastructure Investment Management Ltd (2000) 200 CLR 591 Western Australia v Commonwealth (1995) 183 CLR 373 Williams v Commonwealth [2012] HCA 23; 248 CLR 156 XA v Minister for Home Affairs (2019) 274 FCR 289 Youssef v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2016] UKSC 3; [2016] AC 1457 ; Brennan G, “The purpose and scope of judicial review” (1982) 2 Australian Bar Review 93 Deakin, “Channel of Communication with Imperial Government: Position of Consuls:...