Dunghutti Elders Council (Aboriginal Corporation) RNTBC v Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations [2011] FCAFC 88

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Dunghutti Elders Council (Aboriginal Corporation) RNTBC v Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations [2011] FCAFC 88 Citation: Dunghutti Elders Council (Aboriginal Corporation) RNTBC v Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations [2011] FCAFC 88

Appeal from: Dunghutti Elders Council (Aboriginal Corporation) RNTBC v Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations [2011] FCA 370

Parties: DUNGHUTTI ELDERS COUNCIL (ABORIGINAL CORPORATION) RNTBC v REGISTRAR OF ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER CORPORATIONS and PETER ARMSTRONG

File number: NSD 500 of 2011

Judges: KEANE CJ, LANDER AND FOSTER JJ

Date of judgment: 21 July 2011

Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – registered native title body corporate – notice to show cause why corporation should not be put under special administration – alleged defects in notice making it invalid – apprehended bias as to incontrovertible facts – denial of procedural fairness by failure to provide extraneous documents – reasonable time to respond to notice to show cause – the proper construction of s 487-5 of the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 – expenditure of native title trust funds on legal fees

Legislation: Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 ss 1-25, 487-1, 487-5, 487-10 and Div 453 Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) s 39B(1)

Cases cited: Ainsworth v Criminal Justice Commission (1992) 175 CLR 564 cited Attorney-General v Nottingham Corporation [1904] 1 Ch 673 cited Balmain Association Inc v Planning Administrator for the Leichhardt Council (1991) 25 NSWLR 615 cited Baker v Gough [1963] NSWR 1345 cited Craig, Re (1952) 52 SR (NSW) 265 cited Dunghutti Elders Council (Aboriginal Corporation) RNTBC v Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations [2011] FCA 370 cited Guiseppe v Registrar of Aboriginal Corporations (2007) 160 FCR 465 cited Habib v Director-General of Security (2009) 175 FCR 411 cited Johnson v Johnson (2000) 201 CLR 488 applied Mahon v Air New Zealand Ltd [1984] AC 808 distinguished Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Jia Legeng (2001) 205 CLR 507 cited Murdaca v Australian Securities and Investments Commission (2009) 178 FCR 119 applied Plaintiff M61/2010E v Commonwealth (2010) 272 ALR 14 cited R v Australian Stevedoring Industry Board; Ex parte Melbourne Stevedoring Co Pty Ltd (1953) 88 CLR 100 applied Re Simersall; Blackwell v Bray (1992) 35 FCR 584 cited RPS v The Queen (2000) 199 CLR 620 cited VAAD v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs [2005] FCAFC 117 cited Waterhouse v Waterhouse (1998) 46 NSWLR 449 cited Wroe v Seed (1863) 66 ER 773 cited Date of hearing: 8 June 2011 Place: Sydney Division: GENERAL DIVISION Category: Catchwords Number of paragraphs: 111 Counsel for the Appellant: Mr J McCarthy QC and Mr J Kildea Solicitor for the Appellant: Eddy Neumann Lawyers Counsel for the First and Second Respondents: Mr N Williams SC Solicitor for the First and Second Respondents: Australian Government Solicitor (AGS)