Helmbright v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs (No 2)

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Judgment Date: 15 June 2021
• Neutral Citation: [2021] FCA 647
• Court: Federal Court
• Date: 15 June 2021

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Helmbright v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs (No 2) [2021] FCA 647

File number:	TAD 19 of 2020
Judgment of:	MORTIMER J
Date of judgment:	15 June 2021
Catchwords:	CONSTITUTIONAL LAW – Constitution s 51(xix) – ratio decidendi of the decision in Love v Commonwealth; Thoms v Commonwealth [2020] HCA 3; 94 ALJR 198 – content of the tripartite test in Mabo v Queensland (No 2) [1992] HCA 23; 175 CLR 1 – application of the Mabo (No 2) test – where applicant is a non-citizen who identifies as an Aboriginal Australian
Legislation:	Constitution, ss 51(xix), 51(xxvi) Migration Act 1958 (Cth) Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), s 223
Cases cited:	ACCC v Pratt (No 3) [2009] FCA 407; 175 FCR 558 Agius v State of South Australia (No 6) 2018 FCA 358. Attorney-General (Cth) v Queensland [1990] FCA 358; 25 FCR 125 Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Others v Chau Chak Wing [2019] FCAFC 125; 271 FCR 632 Bodney v Bennell [2008] FCAFC 63; 167 FCR 84 Cherokee Nation v Georgia 30 US 1 Chetcuti v Commonwealth [2020] HCA 42; 95 ALJR 1 Chu Kheng Lim v Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs [1992] HCA 64; 176 CLR 1 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Kojic [2016] FCAFC 186; 249 FCR 421 Commonwealth v Tasmania [1983] HCA 21; 158 CLR 1 Commonwealth v Yarmirr [2001] HCA 56; 208 CLR 1 Cunliffe v Commonwealth [1994] HCA 44; 182 CLR 272 De Rose v State of South Australia [2003] FCAFC 286; 133 FCR 325 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Thomas [2016] VSCA 237; 315 FLR 31 Eatock v Bolt [2011] FCA 1103; 197 FCR 261 Ex parte Walsh and Johnson; In re Yates [1925] HCA 53; 37 CLR 36 Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd v Gayle [2019] NSWCA 172; 100 NSWLR 155 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd [2007] HCA 22; 230 CLR 89 Gibbs v Capewell [1995] FCA 25; 54 FCR 503 Hackett (a pseudonym) v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice [2020] NSWCA 83; 379 ALR 248 Hasler v Singtel Optus Pty Ltd [2014] NSWCA 266; 87 NSWLR 609 Helmbright v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCA 1872 Hepples v The Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia [1992] HCA 3; 173 CLR 492 Icon Co (NSW) Pty Ltd v Liberty Mutual Insurance Company Australian Branch trading as Liberty Specialty Markets [2020] FCA 1493 King-Ansell v Police [1979] 2 NZLR 531 Long v Minister for Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs [2002] FCA 1422 Love v Commonwealth; Thoms v Commonwealth [2020] HCA 3; 375 ALR 597 Mabo v Queensland (No 2) [1992] HCA 23; 175 CLR 1 McHugh v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCA 416 McHugh v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCAFC 223 Members of the Yorta Yorta Aboriginal Community v Victoria [2002] HCA 58; 214 CLR 422 Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation v Ramirez [2018] FCA 1900; 364 ALR 94 Obeid v Lockley [2018] NSWCA 71; 98 NSWLR 258 Perara-Cathcart v The Queen [2017] HCA 9; 260 CLR 595 Pochi v MacPhee [1982] HCA 60; 151 CLR 101 Re Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Minister for; Ex parte Te [2002] HCA 48; 212 CLR 162 Re Patterson; Ex parte Taylor [2001] HCA 51; 207 CLR 391 Re Woolley; Ex parte Applicants M276/2003 [2004] HCA 49; 225 CLR 1 Risk (on behalf of the Larrakia People) v Northern Territory and Others (No NTD 5 of 2006) [2007] FCAFC 46; 240 ALR 75 Risk v Northern Territory of Australia [2006] FCA 404 Sampi v Western Australia [2010] FCAFC 26; 266 ALR 537 Sandy v Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (No 4) [2018] WASC 124; 126 ACSR 370 Shaw v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs [2003] HCA 72; 218 CLR 28 Shaw v Wolf [1998] FCA 389; 83 FCR 113 Tasmania v Victoria [1935] HCA 4; 52 CLR 157 Wagonga Local Aboriginal Land Council v Attorney General of New South Wales [2020] FCA 1113 Webster v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCA 702; 277 FCR 38
Division:	General Division
Registry:	Tasmania
National Practice Area:	Administrative and Constitutional Law and Human Rights
Number of paragraphs:	347
Date of last submissions:	3 February 2021
Date of hearing:	11-12 February 2021
Counsel for the Applicant:	Mr S J Keim SC with Ms C J Klease
Solicitor for the Applicant:	Sentry Law
Counsel for the Respondent:	Mr S Lloyd SC with Mr C Tran
Solicitor for the Respondent:	Australian Government Solicitor
Counsel for the Intervener:	Ms R Webb QC with Dr R Cunningham and Mr T Goodwin
Solicitor for the Intervener:	King & Wood Mallesons

ORDERS

		TAD 19 of 2020
BETWEEN:	KENRICK HENARE HELMBRIGHT Applicant
AND:	MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION, CITIZENSHIP, MIGRANT SERVICES AND MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS Respondent
	MELYTHINA TIAKANA WARRANA (HEART OF COUNTRY) ABORIGINAL CORPORATION Intervener

order made by:	MORTIMER J
DATE OF ORDER:	15 JUNE 2021

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1. The application be dismissed.

2. On or before 4 pm on 29 June 2021 the parties file agreed orders in relation to costs.

3. In the absence of any agreement pursuant to order 2, on or before 4 pm on 6 July 2021 each party have leave to file any written submissions as to costs, limited to three pages.

Note: Entry of orders is dealt with in Rule 39.32 of the Federal Court Rules 2011.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

MORTIMER J:

INTRODUCTION

1 This proceeding raises important questions arising out of the High Court’s decision in Love v Commonwealth; Thoms v Commonwealth [2020] HCA 3; 375 ALR 597 (Love/Thoms) and the majority finding (at [81]) that

Aboriginal Australians (understood according to the tripartite test in Mabo (No 2)) are not within the reach of the “aliens” power conferred by s 51(xix) of the Constitution.

2 The applicant, Kenrick Henare Helmbright, seeks a declaration that he is not an alien for the purposes of s 51(xix) of the Constitution. He is a non-citizen. He...