SZHNN v Minister for Immigration & Citizenship [2007] FCA 1240

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

SZHNN v Minister for Immigration & Citizenship [2007] FCA 1240 SZHNN v MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP AND REFUGEE REVIEW TRIBUNAL NSD 727 OF 2007

BENNETT J

2 AUGUST 2007

SYDNEY IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

NEW SOUTH WALES DISTRICT REGISTRY NSD 727 OF 2007

ON APPEAL FROM THE FEDERAL MAGISTRATES COURT OF AUSTRALIA

BETWEEN: SZHNN

Appellant

AND: MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP

First Respondent

REFUGEE REVIEW TRIBUNAL

Second Respondent

JUDGE: BENNETT J

DATE OF ORDER: 2 AUGUST 2007

WHERE MADE: SYDNEY

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1. The appeal is dismissed. 2. The appellant is to pay the first respondent's costs. Note: Settlement and entry of orders is dealt with in Order 36 of the Federal Court Rules. IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

NEW SOUTH WALES DISTRICT REGISTRY NSD 727 OF 2007

ON APPEAL FROM THE FEDERAL MAGISTRATES COURT OF AUSTRALIA

BETWEEN: SZHNN

Appellant

AND: MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP

First Respondent

REFUGEE REVIEW TRIBUNAL

Second Respondent

JUDGE: BENNETT J

DATE: 2 AUGUST 2007

PLACE: SYDNEY

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT 1 The appellant is a citizen of the People's Republic of China. He lodged an application for a protection visa which was refused by a Delegate of the Minister. He filed an application for review of that decision with the Refugee Review Tribunal and has attended two Tribunal hearings. The decision of the first Tribunal was quashed and the matter heard before a differently constituted Tribunal ('the second Tribunal'). 2 The appellant's claim was that he feared persecution based on his involvement "in the corruption business" as an employee of the City Construction Bureau ('the Bureau') in his home city in 2004. He claimed that he had been accused of forging documents; that he had been investigated, interrogated and threatened by the police; that his house had been searched; and that corruption officials tried to have him "kicked out" of the Bureau. The appellant also expressed views concerning environmental protection and freedom of speech in China. He claimed to fear persecution of an unknown kind if he returned. 3 The second Tribunal was satisfied that the appellant was a citizen of China but was not satisfied that his claims were truthful. The second Tribunal did not regard the appellant as a reliable witness and gave detailed reasons for that conclusion. At least one of those reasons was based upon an inconsistency between the evidence given by the appellant in the first Tribunal hearing and the second Tribunal hearing. At the hearing before the second Tribunal, the appellant repeated the substance of his claims as made before the first Tribunal but added material. 4 The second Tribunal noted that there were some inconsistencies. The extent to which those inconsistencies formed part of the reasons for the second Tribunal's decision is not clear. Even if it were the case that the evidence given by the appellant to the first Tribunal did not fall within s 424A(3)(b) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) ('the Act') for the purposes of the second Tribunal hearing, the inconsistencies referred to by the Tribunal are not information for the purposes of s 424A(1) (SZBYR v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2007] HCA 26 at [18]). 5 The second Tribunal found that, even if the events described by the appellant had occurred, it did not accept that this treatment amounted to "serious harm amounting to persecution" as required under the Convention. That was because the second Tribunal said the appellant's detention occurred in the course of a police investigation into alleged official corruption and involved the non-discriminatory enforcement of a law of general application. 6 The second Tribunal considered the appellant's claim that he would be subject to serious harm because of his attitude towards environmental protection. It also considered his more general claims regarding what he perceived to be China's lack of human rights. The second Tribunal considered whether those claims indicated that the appellant held a political opinion which would place him at risk of persecution. The second Tribunal was not satisfied that the appellant experienced any difficulties in China because of his actual or imputed political opinions. The second Tribunal was not satisfied that the appellant, as a member of the Communist Party or otherwise, would engage in activities or express or manifest any political opinion which could lead to his persecution. The second Tribunal was not satisfied that the appellant had a well-founded fear of serious harm amounting to persecution for a Convention related reason, if he were to return to China. 7 The second Tribunal found that the appellant did not satisfy the criteria set out in s 36(2) of the Act. 8 The appellant applied to the Federal Magistrates Court for an order that the respondents show cause why a remedy should not be grated by that Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction under s 476 of the Act. The grounds of the application before Scarlett FM have largely been repeated in the notice of appeal from his Honour's decision to this Court. Federal Magistrate Scarlett considered: · whether there had been a failure to comply with the obligations of s 424A of the Act; · whether the second Tribunal failed to consider the application according to s 91R of the Act; · whether there was any bias on the part of the second Tribunal; · whether the second Tribunal decision was irrational or illogical; · whether that could constitute jurisdictional error; and · whether there was a breach of s 425(1) within the parameters of SZBEL v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs and Indigenous Affairs (2006) 231 ALR 592. 9 His Honour considered all of those matters in some detail and was satisfied that there was no jurisdictional error. 10 The appellant appears before me in person, assisted by an interpreter. In his notice of appeal and as elaborated before me today, he raises the following grounds: (1) A failure to consider the application according to s 91R of the Act. (2) That the second Tribunal was biased. (3) That the second Tribunal failed to carry out its statutory duty, by reason of a failure to comply with s 424A of the Act. (4) That the second Tribunal failed to consider his claims correctly. (5) That the second Tribunal based its decision on assumptions that did not accord with the evidence. 11 The last two grounds were added in oral submissions. The Minister has not objected to the consideration of the additional grounds of appeal.