Minister for Indigenous Affairs v MJD Foundation Limited [2017] FCAFC 37

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Minister for Indigenous Affairs v MJD Foundation Limited [2017] FCAFC 37 Appeal from: MJD Foundation Limited v Minister for Indigenous Affairs [2015] FCA 1172

File number: NSD 1593 of 2015

Judges: PERRAM, MORTIMER AND PERRY JJ

Date of judgment: 3 March 2017

Catchwords: ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES – Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (Cth) – whether scheme of Act evinces an intention that an administrative decision to grant funding from the Aboriginal Benefits Account be revocable ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – whether s 33 of Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth) authorises the revocation of an administrative decision STATUTES – interpretation – whether s 33 of Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth) authorises the revocation of an administrative decision

Legislation: Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (Cth) ss 35A(2), 35A(3), 64(3), 64(4), 64(5A), 64(5B), 64(7) Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth) ss 2(1), 2(2), 33(1), 33(2A), 33(3)

Cases cited: Annetts v McCann (1990) 170 CLR 596 Australian Capital Equity v Beale (1993) 114 ALR 50 Barons v Luscombe (1835) 3 Ad & E 589; 111 ER 537 Barry v Heider (1914) 19 CLR 197 Bond Corporation Holdings Ltd v Australian Broadcasting Tribunal (1988) 84 ALR 669 Burgess v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (2000) 101 FCR 58 Cassaniti v Tax Agents Board of New South Wales (2009) 179 FCR 1 Collector of Customs (NSW) v Brian Lawlor Automotive Pty Ltd (1979) 2 ALD 1 Comeau's Sea Foods Ltd v Canada [1997] 1 SCR 12 Dallikavak v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1985) 9 FCR 98 Day v Hunkin [1937] SASR 453 Day v Hunkin [1938] SASR 121 Day v Hunkin (1938) 61 CLR 65 Dutton v Republic of South Africa (1999) 162 ALR 625 Firearm Distributors Pty Ltd v Carson [2000] QSC 159 Flaherty v Secretary, Department of Health and Ageing (2010) 184 FCR 564 Gorman v Health Care Complaints Commission [2000] NSWSC 1228 Havers v Havers (1740) Barn C 22; 27 ER 538 Hay v Earl of Eglington (1630) Mor 637 Independent Commission Against Corruption v Cunneen (2015) 256 CLR 1 In Re 56 Denton Rd, Twickenham [1953] Ch. 51 Jayasinghe v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1997) 76 FCR 301 Kabourakis v Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria (2006) VAR 449 Kirby v Duke of Marlborough (1813) 2 M & S 18; 105 ER 289 Lawrie v Lees (1881) 7 App Cas 19 Leung v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1997) 150 ALR 76 Livingstone v Westminster Corporation [1904] 2 KB 109 Marshall v Watson (1972) 124 CLR 640 Mauger v Wingecarribee Shire Council [2015] NSWSC 1022 Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Kurtovic (1990) 21 FCR 193 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Bhardwaj (2002) 209 CLR 597 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs v Watson (2005) 145 FCR 542 Mison v Randwick Municipal Council (1991) 23 NSWLR 734 NH v Director of Public Prosecutions (SA) (2016) 90 ALJR 978 Parkes Rural Distributions Pty Ltd v Glasson (1986) 7 NSWLR 332 Pfeiffer v Stevens (2001) 209 CLR 57 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355 R v District Council of Berri (1984) 36 SASR 404 Re Chan and Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1977) 17 ALR 432 Re Export Development Grants Board v EMI (Australia) Limited and Thorn EMI Electronics Pty Limited [1985] FCA 284 Re Patterson; Ex Parte Taylor (2001) 207 CLR 391 Re Sterling; Ex parte Esanda Ltd (1980) 44 FLR 125 Rootkin v Kent County Council [1981] 1 WLR 1186 Shaw v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (2003) 218 CLR 28 Sloane v Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs (1992) 37 FCR 429 South Australia v Totani (2010) 242 CLR 1 Southlink Pty Ltd v WorkCover Corporation of South Australia [2009] SASC 175 Taylor v Owners – Strata Plan No 11564H (2014) 253 CLR 531 The King v Wallis; ex parte Employers Association of Wool Selling Brokers (1949) 78 CLR 529 VQAR v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs [2003] FCA 900 Walter Construction Group Limited v Fair Trading Administration Corporation [2004] NSWSC 158 Western Australian Planning Commission v Temwood Holdings Pty Ltd (2004) 221 CLR 30 Winn v Director General of National Parks and Wildlife (2001) 130 LGERA 508 Akehurst M, 'Revocation of Administrative Decisions' [1982] PL 613 Allars M, 'Perfected Judgments and Inherently Angelical Administrative Decisions' (2001) 21 Aust Bar Rev 50 Campbell E, 'Revocation and Variation of Administrative Decisions' (1996) 22 Monash UL Rev 30 Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary (LexisNexis, 2017) Ganz G, 'Estoppel and Res Judicata in Administrative Law' [1965] PL 245 Oxford Latin Dictionary (Clarendon, 2000) Pretorius DM, 'The Origins of the Functus Officio Doctrine, with Specific Reference to Its Application in Administrative Law' (2005) South African LJ 832 Wade HWR and Forsyth CF, Administrative Law (7th ed, Clarendon, 1994)