Tu'uta Katoa v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs

Immigration – Visas – Review of cancellation decision – Application for extension of time – Where then Minister for Home Affairs cancelled plaintiff's visa pursuant to s 501(3)(b) of Migration Act 1958 (Cth) – Where plaintiff applied pursuant to s 477A(2) for extension of time to file application for review of Minister's decision – Where primary judge heard application for extension of time concurrently with underlying substantive application – Where primary judge refused application for extension of time on basis that proposed ground of review had no merit – Whether primary judge misapprehended or misconceived nature of statutory power in s 477A(2) – Whether primary judge committed jurisdictional error – Whether exercise of discretion in s 477A(2) may involve more than impressionistic assessment of merits of proposed grounds of review.
Words and phrases – "extension of time", "impressionistic assessment", "jurisdictional error", "misapprehended or misconceived", "necessary in the interests of the administration of justice", "reasonable prospects of success", "reasonably arguable".
Migration Act 1958 (Cth), ss 476A, 477A.