RELEVANT JUDGMENTS IN RELATION TO PROTECTION VISAS

(prepared by John Gibson)

 

PRINCIPLES OF REFUGEE LAW: CONVENTION GROUNDS AND DEFINITION

 

1.     Definition

 

Chan Yee Kin v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs(1989)169 CLR 379

Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Guo(1997)191 CLR 559.

 

2.         Relationship between subjective and objective fears

 

Suleiman v Minister for Immigration & Multicultural Affairs[2001] FCA 752 – subjective fears linked to ground

 

3.           well- founded fear

 

Puerta v MIMA [2001] FCA 309 (setting out the authorities)

Applicant A v MIEA(1997) 190 CLR 225

 

 

4.           Stateless person/former habitual residence

 

MIMA v Savvin (2000) 171 ALR 483, 61 ALD 107, 98 FCR 168 [2000] FCA 478 – fear of persecution required

Taiem v MIMA (2001) 186 ALR 361 ; [2001] FCA 611-assess against all countries

QAAE of 2002 v MIMIA [2002] FCA 1213

 

5.           Political opinion

a)           Definition

Voitenko v MIMA (1998)55 ALD 629 [1999] FCA 428

C & S v Minister [1999] FCA 1430; 94 FCR 366

Ramirez v MIMA [2000] FCA 1000

Zheng & Anor v MIMA [2000]FCA 670 (summary of law)

 

 

Ram v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1995) 57 FCR 565

 

b)                Prosecution

 

Welivita v Minister [1996] 989 FCA 1

Z v MIMA(1998) 90 FCR 51 – disproportionate punishment cf law of general application/prosecution

 

c)           Future expression of political opinion

 

Omar v MIMA MIMA (2000) 179 ALR 525, 104 FCR 187; 62 ALD 342 [2000] FCA 1430)

 

d)      Other

Buultjens v MIMA [2001] FCA 1058; Peiris v MIMA (1999) 58 ALD 413 –political persons but no motivation

 

6.                 Multiple causes (and see s91r(2))

 

Chokov v Minister [1999] FCA 823

Jahazi v Minister(1995) 61 FCR 293 

 

 

7.           Membership of a particular social group

 

a)            General principles

 

Chen Shi Hai v MIMA (2000) 170 ALR 553 ; 74 ALJR 775

 

MIMA v Zamora (1998) 85 FCR 458

Applicant A v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs(1997)190 CLR 225

VAM” v MIMA [2001] FCA 1809 Marshall J. (summary of authorities): affd in “VAM” v MIMA [2002] FCAFC 125 (10 May 2002) (Black CJ.Drummond and Kenny JJ.) Ram v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1995) 57 FCR 565

MIMA v Applicant Z [2001] FCA 1823( 2001) 116 FCR 36

 

 

b) women

 

MIMA v Khawar (2002) 76 ALJR 667 187 ALR 574 67 ALD 577

[2002] HCA 14 (also persecution)

MIMA v Cali [2000] FCA 1026

SBBK v MIMIA [2002] FCA 565

 

c)                Victims of crime

 

Dranichnikov v MIMA (2000) 60 ALD 482, [2000] FCA 63 at [34]

 

d)                Family

 

Giraldo v MIMA [2001] FCA 113 (summary of authorities)

Minister for Immigration & Multicultural Affairs v Sarrazola(2001) 107 FCR 184, [2001] FCA 263 (but see s91S)

MIMA v Shtjefni [2001] FCA 1323 (but see s91S)

 

e)    Homosexuals

 

 

“Applicant LSLS” v MIMA [2000] FCA 211

Satinder Pal Singh v MIMA (2000)178 ALR 742 [2000] FCA 1704(summary of authorities)

Kabir v MIMA [2001] FCA 969 affd [2002] FCA 129

 

8.           Religion

 

Woudneh v MILGEA, unreported , Gray J. G86 of 1988, 16 September 1988

MIMA v Zheng [2000] FCA 50 –system of regulation of church governance that was not persecutory

Cf Wang v MIMA (2000) 179 ALR 1, 105 FCR 548 ; 62 ALD 373; [2000] FCA 1599

Farajvand v MIMA [2001] FCA 795

Liu v MIMA [2001] FCA 257

MIMA v Jang (2000) 175 ALR 752; 63 ALD 661; [2000] FCA 1075 –enforcement of national law

 

9.       Race

 

 

Brandigampolage v MIMA [2000] FCA 1400

 

10.           Persecution

 

 a)           General

 

Chan

Applicant A

 

Roguinski v MIMA [2001] FCA 1327

 

Ariaee v MIMA [2001] FCA 1627 –discrimination /persecution

 

b)       Laws of general application

 

 

 Chen Shi Hai

Z v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs(1998) 90 FCR 51

 

Wehiliye v MIMA [2001] FCA 1222

 

c)           Severity of harm

 

(See Now s91 R)

Gersten v MIMA [2000] FCA 855

MIMA v Kord [2002] FCA 334;[2002] FCAFC 77 (2002) 67 ALD 28.

Gunaseelan v MIMA (1997) 49 ALD 594; [1997] 434 FCA (French J.).- positive discrimination

Capa v MIMA [2001] FCA 898 –threat of harm

 

 

d)           Restriction on political expression

 

 U Win v MIMA [2001] FCA 132 –query

Oo v MIMA [2001] FCA 348

MIMA v Islam [2001] FCA 1681

 

e)       Other forms of discrimination amounting to persecution including in Employment

 

Chen v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs(1995) 58 FCR 96

Prahastono v MIMA (1997) 77 FCR 260 at 267-8; [1997] 586 FCA

Korizad v MIMA [2002] FCA 487 (summary of authorities)

 

f)      Question of fact

Arumugam v MIMA[1999] FCA 251 at [37] (on appeal,[1999] FCA 1285

 

11.           Persecution by non-state agents which State unable or unwilling to prevent

 

Khawar

 

12. Sur Place claims (see too s91R)

 

Ozmanian v MIMA [1997] 256 FCA

MIMA v Mohammed (2000) 98 FCR 405; 61 ALD 1 [2000] FCA 576

MIMA v Farahanipour (2001) 181 ALR 535;64 ALD 341; [2001] FCA 82)

 

13. Article 33; s36(3)(4)(5)

 

Al-Rahal v MIMA (2001) 184 ALR 698; 110 FCR 73; [2001] FCA 1141

 

MIMA v Applicant C (2001) 116 FCR 154 66 ALD 1 [2001] FCA 1332

 

V872/00A, V900/00A, V854/00A, V856/00A and V903/00A v MIMA [2002] FCAFC 185 ;(2002) 190 ALR 268 - application for special leave and appeal referred to the Full Court

 

MIMA v WABQ [2002] FCAFC 329 (Hill, Moore and Tamberlin JJ.) allowing appeal from MIMA v Quiader [2001] FCA 1458 –Article 1 D

 

14.           State Protection in own country or other country of nationality

 

A v MIMA (1999) 53 ALD 545 [1999] FCA 116 (FFC) citing Prathapan v MIMA (1997) 47 ALD 41.

Mehmood v MIMA [2000] FCA 1799

Applicant A

Sowrimuthu v MIMA [2001] FCA 300

MIMA v Kandasamy [2000] FCA 67 –realistic choice of availing oneself of state protection

 

16.           Relocation/Internal flight        

 

 Ismail v Minister [2000] FCA 194 (summary of issues)

Randhawa v MILGA (1994) 52 FCR 437

 

17.           Military service

 

Aksahin v MIMA [2000] FCA 1570

Kesic v MIMA[2001] FCA 130

Mehenni v Minister (1999) 164 ALR 192; [1999] FCA 789

 

18. Article 1F(b) exclusion

 

MIMA v Singh [2002] HCA 7;(2002) 186 ALR 393; 76 ALJR 514; 67 ALD 257

Applicant NADB of 2001 v MIMA [2002] FCAFC 326 (Madgwick, Merkel and Conti JJ.) dismissing appeal from [2002] FCA 200 ; (2002) 189 ALR 293 (Hely J.)

 

 

19.           Cessation of Refugee Status

 

Rezaei v MIMA [2001] FCA 1294

 

20. MATERIAL CHANGE

 

Chan

 

Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Ex parte Miah (2001)179 ALR 238 ; 75 ALJR 889; [2001] HCA 22 per Gaudron J. at [68]:

Hathaway p199-204

 

 

21. Legislative changes to the Convention definition

 

 

91R Persecution

 

(1)(2)

 

Note that much of sub-s (1) and (2) reflects jurisprudence as stated in Chan v MIEA (1989)169 CLR 379; 87 ALR 412, Chen Shi Hai v MIMA(2000) 200 CLR 293; 170 ALR 553 and MIMA v Haji Ibrahim (2000) 204 CLR 1; 175 ALR 585. Concepts of ‘serious harm’ and ‘systematic and discriminatory conduct’ were present in pre-amendment law. Definition of ‘serious harm’ is a non-exhaustive list of examples. Note that statutory position now consistent with pre-amendment law since MIMA v Kord [2002] FCA 334. Mental harm is not necessarily excluded. Reference to capacity to subsist novel concept. Requirement that  there be ‘systematic and discriminatory conduct suggest comparative standard. Mc Hugh J. in Haji Ibrahim, referring to the endorsement of the concept in Chan, considered that in the context of persecution, systematic refers to non-random or intended conduct rather than habitual or methodical behaviour ( hence single incidents may constitute persecution). Requirement of essential and significant does not alter the principle that a Convention reason for persecution need not be the sole reason but arguably is a higher standard than before.

(3)

 

This is designed to overcome the effect of MIMA v Mohammed (2000) 98 FCR 405 which held that the Convention contained no requirement of ‘good faith’ and that the central question was whether or not the applicant had a wll-founded fear of persecution on return. Now it is necessary to examine the motivation of the applicant’s activities in Australia and disregard such conduct if it is for the purpose stated in sub-s (b), the burden being on the applicant to satisfy the decision-maker the conduct was engaged in for a purpose other than of advancing his claim to refugee status (quaere; this is the position as it was following Somaghi v MILGEA (1991) 31 FCR 100; 102 ALR 339.) There is now an issue whether a sole purpose test should be aplied pursuant to s91 R(3)(b) which would be consistent with Somaghi and could be implied. Future conduct in a person’s country of origin having its genesis in such ‘bad faith’ conduct may not come within the terms of the amendment.

 

91S Membership of a particular social group

 

A person who fears persecution because he is a relative of another person targeted for a non-Convention reason does not fall within the definition of a particular social group. MIMA v Sarrazola (2001) 107 FCR 184 is no longer good law in circumstances where the particular social group of family is relied upon based upon fears derived from the non-Convention related fears of a family member.

 

91T Non-political crime

 

The list of offences in s5 demonstrate that the emphasis of the amendment is primarily on the seriousness of the offence rather than on the intention and circumstances of the crime. The threshold for determining the degree of political motivation required for a criminal act to fall outside the article 1F(b) exclusion is raised and widens the class of people excluded from the Convention definition. It appears to modify the effect of the later decided MIMA v Singh [2002] HCA 7.

 

 

91U Particularly serious crime

 

This emphasis on definition by the nature of the crime and its penalty goes beyond the more general approach of A v MIMA [199]FCA 227 of consideration of the context and circumstances of the crime, as well as the crime.

 

JOHN A.GIBSON

2 March 2003