Malek Fahd Islamic School Limited v Minister for Education and Early Learning [2023] NSWCA 143

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Malek Fahd Islamic School Limited v Minister for Education and Early Learning [2023] NSWCA 143 Hearing dates: 2 June 2023 Date of orders: 29 June 2023 Decision date: 29 June 2023 Before: Ward P at [1]; Meagher JA at [2]; Basten AJA at [3] Decision: (1) Dismiss the appeal. (2) Order that the appellant pay the respondent's costs in this Court. Catchwords: EDUCATION – financial assistance to non-government schools – entitlement conditioned on school not operating for profit – recovery of payments made while school operating for profit – recovery by reduction of future assistance LIMITATION OF ACTIONS – cause of action to recover money recoverable by virtue of an enactment – recovery by reduction of future entitlements – whether such recovery an "action" – whether extinguishment of statutory debt affects power to recover by reducing future payments STATUTORY INTERPRETATION – presumption that statutory scheme for recovery of over-payments constitutes a code Legislation Cited: District Court Act 1973 (NSW), s 127 Education Act 1990 (NSW), Pt 3, Div 7, ss 83A, 83B, 83BA, 83C, 83D, 83E, 83F, 83G, 83J, 83K; former s 21 Limitation Act 1969 (NSW), ss 11, 14, 63 Social Security Act 1947 (Cth), (former) s 181 Cases Cited: Auckland Harbour Board v The King [1924] AC 318 China v Harrow Urban District Council [1954] 1 QB 178 Christian Community Ministries Ltd v Minister for Education and Early Learning [2023] NSWSC 272 Commissioner of State Revenue (Vic) v ACN 005 057 349 Pty Ltd (2017) 261 CLR 509; [2017] HCA 6 Commissioner of State Revenue (Vic) v Royal Insurance Australia Limited (1994) 182 CLR 51; [1994] HCA 61 David Securities Pty Ltd v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (1992) 175 CLR 353; [1992] HCA 48 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Official Receiver (1956) 95 CLR 300; [1956] HCA 24 Grzybowicz v Smiljanic [1980] 1 NSWLR 627 Health Insurance Commission v Peverill (1994) 179 CLR 226; [1994] HCA 8 Josephson v Walker (1914) 18 CLR 691; [1914] HCA 68 Muldoon v Church of England Children's Homes Burwood (2011) 80 NSWLR 282; [2011] NSWCA 46 Pape v Commissioner of Taxation (Cth) (2009) 238 CLR 1; [2009] HCA 23 Sims v Commonwealth of Australia (2022) 109 NSWLR 546; [2022] NSWCA 194 Taylor v Secretary, Department of Social Security (1988) 18 FCR 322; [1988] FCA 70 Vezitis v McGeechan [1974] 1 NSWLR 718 Victims Compensation Fund Corporation v District Court of NSW (1997) 92 A Crim R 224 Walker v Secretary, Department of Social Security (1995) 56 FCR 354 Wende v Horwath (NSW) Pty Ltd (2014) 86 NSWLR 674; [2014] NSWCA 170 Texts Cited: P Herzfeld and T Prince, Interpretation (2nd ed, Law Book Co, 2020) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Malek Fahd Islamic School Limited (Appellant) Minister for Education and Early Learning (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: A Fernon SC / I Sethi (Appellant) S Free SC / E Jones (Respondent)