BJB17 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCA 1683

Federal Court of Australia

BJB17 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCA 1683 Appeal from: BJB17 & Ors v Minister for Immigration & Anor [2020] FCCA 469

File number: VID 202 of 2020

Judgment of: WIGNEY J

Date of judgment: 23 November 2020

Catchwords: MIGRATION – where appellants refused protection visas – where appellants unsuccessfully challenged decision in the Immigration Assessment Authority ('IAA') – where IAA relied on secondary source to determine Sri Lankan citizenship law – whether IAA's finding was a finding of fact or law – whether IAA's erroneous finding was a jurisdictional error – whether IAA should have exercised its discretion to get new information regarding Sri Lankan citizenship law – appeal dismissed

Legislation: Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) s 174 Migration Act 1958 (Cth) ss 5, 5AA, 36(2)(a), 36(2)(aa), 36(2)(b), 36(2)(c), 46A(1), 46A(2), 473BB, 473CA, 473CB, 473DB, 473DB(1), 473DC, 473DC(1), 473DC(2), 473DD Citizenship Act 1948 (Sri Lanka)

Cases cited: ABT17 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2020] HCA 34 Attorney-General (NSW) v Quin (1990) 170 CLR 1 DYK16 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2018) 267 FCR 69 FER17 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs [2019] FCAFC 106 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZMTA (2019) 264 CLR 421 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZIAI [2009] HCA 39; 83 ALJR 1123 National Mutual Holdings Pty Ltd v The Sentry Corporation (1989) 22 FCR 209 Re Canavan (2017) 263 CLR 284