Ruddock v Vadarlis [2001] FCA 1329

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Ruddock v Vadarlis [2001] FCA 1329 CONSTITUTIONAL LAW – executive power of the Commonwealth – common law prerogative of the Crown – relationship – abrogation by statute – principles of construction – no presumption in favour of abrogation – national sovereignty – exclusion of aliens – whether element of executive power – whether abrogated by Migration Act 1958 (Cth) – exclusion of aliens from Australian territory – whether valid exercise of executive power – incidents of power to exclude – restraints upon liberty – whether unlawful. ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Habeas Corpus – jurisdiction – nature of remedy – whether available for partial restraint – non-citizens in foreign vessel – no right to enter Australia – whether barring of entry imposes restraint – whether incidental steps to bar entry and remove amount to restraint on liberty – extraneous factors – refusal of ship's captain to depart – whether resulting restraints attributable to Commonwealth – no relevant restraint – habeas corpus does not lie Migration Act 1958 (Cth) ss 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 47, 45, 189, 194, 196, 198, 199, 200, 228(A), 229, 230, 230(1A), 232, 232A, 233, 245A, 245B, 245C, 245D, 245F, 245H, 249(1AA), 250, 251, 252, 256 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth)s 23 Judiciary Act 1901 (Cth) s 39B Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1901 s 4, 61 Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth) s 15B Shipping and Pilotage Act 1967 (WA) s 5 Immigration Act 1901-1930 (Cth) Public Service Act 1916 (Cth) Extradition (Foreign States) Act 1966 (Cth) Extradition Act 1988 (Cth) Border Protection Legislation Amendment Act 1999 (Cth) Zines, The High Court and the Constitution, 4th ed (1997) at 251 Steven and Haynes, Forsyth's Cases and Opinions on Constitutional Law (1869) at 181 Clark and McCoy, The Most Fundamental Legal Right – Habeas Corpus in the Commonwealth, Clarendon Press, Oxford (2000) 183 et ff D K Singh 'What cannot be done directly cannot be done indirectly, Part 1', (1959) 32 Australian Law Journal 374; 33 Australian Law Journal 3 HV Evatt, The Royal Prerogative, LBC (1987) at 99 G Winterton, Parliament, the Executive and the Governor General, Melbourne University Press (1983) at 118-9, 120 de Smith, Constitutional and Administrative Law, 3rd ed (1977) at 11 Markesinis, 'The Royal Prerogative Revisited' [1973] Cambridge Law Journal 287 at 299-305 WF Craies, 'The Right of Aliens to Enter British Territory' (1890) 6 Law Quarterly Review 27 at 27-9, 37. TW Haycraft, 'Alien Legislation and the Prerogative of the Crown' [1897] Law Quarterly Review 165 Sir William Holdsworth, A History of English Law, Vol X, Sweet and Maxwell (1938) at 396-7 H Street and R Brazier, Constitutional and Administrative Law, 5th ed (1985) at 149-150 PH Lane, Lane's Commentary on the Australian Constitution, 2nd ed (1997) at 439 J Goldring, 'The Impact of Statutes on the Royal Prerogative; Australasian Attitudes as to the Rule in Attorney-General v De Keyser's Royal Hotel Ltd (1974) 48 Australian Law Journal 434 Sir James Mackintosh, House of Commons 1816, Debates (Hansard) 10 May 1816, 446-470 The Hon Philip Ruddock, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Second Reading Speech, Australia, house of Representatives 1999, Debates (Hansard), 22 September 1999, 10147 Ah Yin v Christie (1907) 4 CLR 1428 followed Amuur v France (1992) 22 EHRR 533 cited Attorney-General (Canada) v Cain [1906] AC 542 followed Attorney-General v De Keyser's Royal Hotel Limited [1920] AC 508 cited Australian Communist Party v Commonwealth (1951) 83 CLR 1 referred to Australian Conservation Foundation Incorporated v Commonwealth (1980) 146 CLR 493 referred to Balmain New Ferry Co Ltd v Robertson (1906) 4 CLR 379 referred to Bank of New South Wales v Commonwealth (1948) 76 CLR 1 at 349 followed Barton v Commonwealth (1974) 131 CLR 477 cited Bateman's Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council v Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund Pty Ltd (1998) 194 CLR 247 referred to Bird v Jones [1845] 7 QB 742 referred to Booth v Williams (1909) 9 SR (NSW) 421 referred to Bradley v Commonwealth (1973) 128 CLR 557 cited British Broadcasting Corporation v Jones [1965] Ch 32 cited Brown v Lizars (1905) 2 CLR 837 cited Burma Oil Company (Burma Trading) Ltd v Lord Advocate [1965] AC 75 cited Burns v Ransley (1949) 79 CLR 101 referred to Burns v Johnston [1916] 2 KB 444 referred to Burton v Davies and General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation Ltd [1953] StRQd 26 followed Chin Yow v United States 208 US 8 (1907) referred to Chu Kheng Lim v Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs (1992) 176 CLR 1 followed Chung Teeong Toy v Musgrove (1888) 14 VLR 349 cited Clarkson v R [1986] VR 464 referred to Commonwealth v Colonial Combing, Spinning and Weaving Co Ltd (1922) 31 CLR 421 referred to Davis v Commonwealth (1988) 166 CLR 79 cited Donegani v Donegani III Knapp 63 referred to Eattes v Dawson (1990) 21 FCR 166 cited Ex parte Lo Pak (1888) 9 NSWR 221 cited Ex parte Leong Kum (1888) 9 NSWR 250 cited Ex parte Walsh and Johnson; Re Yates (1925) 37 CLR 36 cited Farey v Burvett (1916) 21 CLR 433 referred to Herd v Weardale Steel, Cole and Coke Company Ltd [1915] AC 67 referred to Hunkin v Siebert (1934) 51 CLR 538 cited In Re Adam [1837] 1 Moo PC; 12 ER 889 cited Johnstone v Pedlar [1921] 2 AC 262 followed Jones v Cunningham 371 US 236 (1963) referred to Kioa v West (1985) 159 CLR 550 referred to Koon Wing Lau v Calwell (1949) 80 CLR 533 followed Laker Airways Ltd v Department of Trade [1977] 1 QB 643 cited Ling v Commonwealth (1994) 51 FCR 88 referred to Liversidge v Anderson [1942] AC 206 applied Mayer v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1984) 4 FCR 312 cited McGuiness v Attorney-General (Vic) (1940) 83 CLR 73 cited M'Kendrick v Sinclair 1972 SC (HL) 25 referred to Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Guo (1997) 191 CLR 559 followed Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Mayer (1985) 7 FCR 254 referred to Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Teoh (1995) 183 CLR 273 referred to Musgrove v Chung Teeong Toy [1891] AC 272 followed Ng Kwan v Commonwealth (1949) 80 CLR 535 cited Oates v Attorney-General (Cth) (2001) 181 ALR 559 cited Phong v Attorney-General for the Commonwealth [2001] FCA 1241 followed R v Bevan; Ex parte Elias and Gordon (1942) 66 CLR 452 referred to R v Bottrill; Ex parte Kuechenmeister [1947] 1 KB 41 followed R v Carter; Ex parte Kisch (1934) 52 CLR 221 followed R v Home Secretary; Ex parte Khawaja [1984] AC 74 cited R v Langdon; Ex parte Langdon (1953) 88 CLR 158 referred to R v Secretary of State for Home Affairs; Ex parte O'Brien [1923] 2 KB 361 cited Re Bolton; Ex Parte Beane (1987) 162 CLR 514 cited Re Officer in Charge of Cells ACT Supreme Court; Ex parte Eastman (1994) 123 ALR 478 followed Re Ditfort; Ex parte Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (1988) 19 FCR 347 cited Re Esperalta [1987] VR 236 cited Re Gregory (1899) 25 VLR 539 cited Robtelmes v Brenan (1906) 4 CLR 395 cited Shah and Akbarali v Brent London Borough Council [1983] 2 AC 309 followed Syed Mahamad Yusuf-ud-din v Secretary of State for India (1903) TLR 496 referred to Somerset v Stewart (1772) 98 ER 499 referred to Truth About Motorways Pty Ltd v Macquarie Infrastructure Investment Management Ltd (2000) 200 CLR 591 referred to Victoria v Commonwealth and Hayden (1975) 134 CLR 338 cited Walker v R [1994] 2 AC 36 cited Waters v Commonwealth (1951) 82 CLR 188 referred to Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia v J W Alexander Ltd (1918) 25 CLR 434 followed