Vasiljkovic v Honourable Brendan O'Connor [2010] FCA 1246

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Vasiljkovic v Honourable Brendan O'Connor [2010] FCA 1246 Citation: Vasiljkovic v Honourable Brendan O'Connor [2010] FCA 1246

Parties: DRAGAN VASILJKOVIC v THE HONOURABLE BRENDAN O'CONNOR, THE HONOURABLE ROBERT MCCLELLAND, THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, THE OFFICER IN CHARGE OF SILVERWATER PRISON and THE FORMER MINISTER FOR JUSTICE AND CUSTOMS, THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER MARTIN ELLISON

File number: NSD 1203 of 2010

Judge: EDMONDS J

Date of judgment: 19 November 2010

Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE—Summary judgment and summary dismissal—Section 31A of the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) and O 20 r 5 of the Federal Court Rules—where the applicant is seeking orders in the nature of a writ of habeas corpus—whether the applicant's cause of action is res judicata—whether the applicant is estopped from raising issues which could have been raised in earlier proceedings—whether these proceedings are an abuse of process. Held: The applicant's cause of action is res judicata, as his cause of action has merged into the judgment in the applicant's prior proceedings; the applicant is estopped from raising issues which were not raised, but should have been, in earlier proceedings; these proceedings are an abuse of process, inter alia, an order in the nature of a writ of habeas corpus would be inconsistent with the orders of the High Court of Australia in Republic of Croatia v Snedden [2010] HCA 14.

Legislation: Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 31A Extradition Act 1988 (Cth) Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) s 39B Extradition (Croatia) Regulations 2004 (Cth) Federal Court Rules O 20 r 5

Cases cited: Amand v Home Secretary and Minister of Defence of Royal Netherlands Government [1943] AC 147 Brock v Minister for Home Affairs (2008) 170 FCR 434 Brock v Minister for Justice and Customs (2007) 243 ALR 315 Chamberlain v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (1988) 164 CLR 502 Dey v Victorian Railways Commissioners (1949) 78 CLR 62 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Kainhofer (1995) 185 CLR 528 DPP v Humphrys [1977] AC 1 Dranichnikov v Minister for Immigration & Multicultural Affairs (2003) 77 ALJR 1088 Edwards v Santos Ltd (2009) 263 ALR 473 Ex parte Williams (1934) 51 CLR 545 Ex parte Woodhall (1888) 20 QBD 832 Forsyth v United Kingdom [2003] FCA 1084 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125 Harris v Attorney-General (Cth) (1994) 52 FCR 386 Henderson v Henderson (1843) 3 Hare 100 McGowan v Migration Agents Registration Authority (2003) 129 FCR 118 McHugh Holdings Pty Ltd v Director General Communities NSW [2009] NSWSC 1359 Oates v Attorney-General (Cth) (2001) 181 ALR 559 Pasini v United Mexican States (2002) 209 CLR 246 Peniche v Hannan [1999] FCA 915 Peniche v Vanstone (2000) 101 FCR 112 Port of Melbourne Authority v Anshun Pty Ltd (1981) 147 CLR 589 R v Australian Stevedoring Industry Board; Ex parte Melbourne Stevedoring Co Pty Ltd (1953) 88 CLR 100 R v Governor of Brixton Prison Ex parte Mourat Mehmet [1962] 2 QB 1 R v Governor of Brixton Prison Ex parte Osman [1991] 1 WLR 281 Re Corke [1954] 1 WLR 899 Re Officer in Charge of Cells, ACT Supreme Court; Ex parte Eastman (1994) 68 ALJR 668 Republic of Croatia v Sneddon (2010) 84 ALJR 334 Rogers v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 251 Somanader v Minister for Immigration & Multicultural Affairs (2000) 63 ALD 670 Spencer v Commonwealth (2010) 84 ALJR 612 The Queen v Storey (1978) 140 CLR 364 Trawl Industries of Australia Pty Ltd (in liq) v Effem Foods Pty Ltd (1992) 36 FCR 406 Vasiljkovic v Commonwealth (2006) 227 CLR 614 Walton v Gardiner (1993) 177 CLR 378 Wyeth Australia Pty Ltd v Minister for Health & Aged Care (2000) 61 ALD 372 Young v Registrar, Court of Appeal [No 3] (1993) 32 NSWLR 262