Vasiljkovic v Commonwealth of Australia

Extradition – Plaintiff remanded in custody pending determination of eligibility for surrender – Arrest warrant for plaintiff in force in Croatia on charge of certain war crimes – Arrest warrant constitutes relevant "supporting documentation" for purposes of s 19 of the Extradition Act 1988 (Cth) – Statement made by Croatian investigating authorities of a well-founded suspicion that plaintiff committed the offences alleged, including recitation of evidence provided by witnesses – Croatia declared to be an "extradition country" by Extradition (Croatia) Regulations 2004 (Cth), regs 3, 4 – Whether Pt II of the Extradition Act is a valid law of the Commonwealth.

Constitutional law (Cth) – Judicial power of the Commonwealth – Plaintiff detained pending determination of eligibility for surrender – Extradition Act, s 19(1) provided power of an administrative nature to conduct proceedings to determine eligibility for surrender – Extradition Act, s 19(5) provided that the person to whom the proceedings relate is not entitled to adduce evidence to contradict allegations that the person has engaged in the conduct constituting an extradition offence – No prima facie evidence requirement applicable – Whether Pt II of the Extradition Act is invalid to the extent that it purports to confer a power to deprive an Australian citizen of liberty otherwise than in exercise of the judicial power of the Commonwealth – Whether Pt II of the Extradition Act when read together with the Extradition (Croatia) Regulations is invalid to the extent that it purports to confer a power to deprive an Australian citizen of liberty otherwise than upon a finding that there exists a prima facie case against that person of the commission of the offences alleged by the state requesting extradition – Whether law authorising such involuntary detention requires machinery for testing the validity of the charges made – Whether surrender proceedings are an integer of a "matter" for the purposes of Ch III of the Constitution.

Constitutional law (Cth) – External affairs – Extradition (Croatia) Regulations not made pursuant to any treaty between Australia and Croatia – Whether, in the absence of a treaty, the declaration by the Extradition (Croatia) Regulations of Croatia as an extradition country is invalid for want of support by s 51(xxix) of the Constitution or any other legislative power of the Commonwealth – Whether Pt II of the Extradition Act and the Extradition (Croatia) Regulations operate by reference to the conduct of the plaintiff external to Australia or by reference to an untested and untestable allegation of such conduct – Whether the mere fact of a request by a foreign state makes the subject-matter of the request amenable to the exercise of the legislative power conferred by s 51(xxix).

Constitution – s 51(xxix), Ch III.

Extradition Act 1988 (Cth) – ss 3(a), 5, 11, Pt II.

Extradition (Croatia) Regulations 2004 (Cth).