Vodafone Hutchison Australia Pty Ltd v Australian Competition Consumer Commission [2017] FCA 1549

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Vodafone Hutchison Australia Pty Ltd v Australian Competition Consumer Commission [2017] FCA 1549 File number: NSD 868 of 2017

Judge: GRIFFITHS J

Date of judgment: 21 December 2017

Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – judicial review challenge to validity of public inquiry by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission purportedly under Pt 25 of the Telecommunications Act 1997 (Cth) into whether to declare a wholesale domestic mobile roaming service under s 152AL(3) of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) – whether specification of eligible service is required at the outset of the public inquiry or, alternatively, at some later point but prior to the statutory public consultation process Held: application dismissed

Legislation: Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 (Cth) ss 5, 6, 16 Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) ss 152AB, 152AC, 152AI, 152AL, 152ALA, 152AM, 152AN, Pt XIC Telecommunications Act 1997 (Cth) ss 3, 496, 497, 498, 499, 500, 505, 505A, Pt 25

Cases cited: CIC Insurance Ltd v Bankstown Football Club Ltd [1997] HCA 2; 187 CLR 384 Clissold v Perry [1904] HCA 12; 1 CLR 363 Cooper Brookes (Wollongong) Pty Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation [1981] HCA 26; 147 CLR 297 Esso Australia Pty Ltd v The Australian Workers' Union [2017] HCA 54 Foxtel Management Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [2002] FCA 589; 173 ALR 362 SZTAL v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2017] HCA 34; 91 ALJR 936 Telstra Corporation Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [2017] FCA 316; 344 ALR 511 Telstra Corporation Ltd v Seven Cable Television Pty Ltd [2010] FCA 1160; 102 FCR 517 Telstra Corporation Ltd v The Commonwealth of Australia [2008] HCA 7; 234 CLR 210