Cummeragunga Pty Ltd (In Liq) v Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Commission [2004] FCA 1098

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Cummeragunga Pty Ltd (In Liq) v Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Commission [2004] FCA 1098

CORPORATIONS – powers of liquidator – possible statutory constraint on liquidator's power of sale – liquidator as agent ESTOPPEL – clear and unambiguous representation – administrative discretion ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – whether policy inconsistent with statute – whether discretion exercised in inflexible manner – whether failure to consider relevant considerations – whether weight to be given to considerations - unreasonableness Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989 (Cth) s 14, s 21 Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 477, s 479 Butterell v Docker Smith Pty Limited (1997) 41 NSWLR 129 referred to Re Dallhold Investments (1994) 53 FCR 339 referred to UTSA Pty Ltd v Ultra Tune Australia Pty Ltd (1996) 21 ACSR 457 referred to Seear v Lawson (1880) 15 Ch D 426 referred to Cotterill v Bank of Singapore (Australia) Ltd (1995) 37 NSWLR 238 referred to Nominal Defendant v Owens (1978) 22 ALR 128 referred to Luxton v Vines (1952) 85 CLR 352 referred to Kerr v Ayr Steam Shipping Co Pty Ltd [1915] AC 217 referred to Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Kurtovic (1990) 21 FCR 193 referred to Legione v Hateley (1983) 152 CLR 406 applied Green v Daniels (1977) 13 ALR 1 distinguished Elias v Commissioner of Taxation (2002) 123 FCR 499 applied Re Drake and Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (No 2) (1979) 2 ALD 634 applied Braganza v Minister for Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs [2003] FCAFC 170 applied Minister for Aboriginal Affairs v Peko-Wallsend (1986) 162 CLR 24applied Khan v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1987) 14 ALD 291discussed Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Anthonypillai (2001) 106 FCR 426discussed Bruce v Cole (1998) 45 NSWLR 163 referred to SFGB v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (2004) 77 ALD 402 applied A Keay, McPherson, The Law of Company Liquidation, 4th ed, LBC Information Services, Sydney, 1999 J D Heydon, Cross on Evidence, 6th Aust ed, Butterworths, Sydney, 2000 M Aronson & B Dyer, Judicial Review of Administrative Action, 2nd ed, LBC Information Services, Sydney, 2000 M Aronson, B Dyer & M Groves, Judicial Review of Administrative Action, 3rd ed, Lawbook Company, 2004