NAIS v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs

Immigration – Refugee Review Tribunal – Substantial delay between first Tribunal hearing and Tribunal decision – Whether delay resulted in real and substantial risk of prejudice to appellants – Whether prejudice to appellants can be inferred – Whether delay by administrative tribunal constitutes denial of procedural fairness or failure to conduct review as required by law – Whether decision of administrative tribunal may be set aside following substantial delay – Effect of delay on question of assessing appellants' demeanour – Calculation of the period of delay.

Immigration – Refugee Review Tribunal – Migration Act 1958 (Cth), s 420 provides for an objective of administrative review that is "fair, just, economical, informal and quick" – Relevance of s 420 to complaint of delay – Special considerations relevant to delay in asylum cases.

Administrative law – Jurisdictional error – Whether denial of procedural fairness – Significance of delay – Grounds for judicial review – Whether delay affected the Refugee Review Tribunal's capacity to make a proper assessment of demeanour – Whether there was a real and substantial risk that the Tribunal's capacity to assess the appellants was impaired.

Administrative law – Judicial review – Assessment of fairness of procedures followed by administrative decision-maker – Substantial delay between first Tribunal hearing and Tribunal decision – Limited role of courts performing judicial review – Relevance of general notions of fairness and justice – Relevance of authority on delay in context of appeals against judicial determinations – Importance of contextual factors in assessing complaint of delay.

Administrative law – Jurisdictional error – Substantial delay between first Tribunal hearing and Tribunal decision – Appropriate remedy where denial of procedural fairness due to substantial delay – Failure by appellants to seek mandamus – Whether relief should be refused on discretionary grounds.

Words and phrases – "delay", "jurisdictional error", "procedural fairness".

Migration Act 1958 (Cth) – ss 420, 425(1), 430.