THE FEDERAL SYSTEM OF JUDICIAL REVIEW
• If you want to challenge a decision made by a Cth statutory body, e.g. the Australian Electoral Commission of the Australian Taxation Office, you must turn to the federal system of judicial review. • The HC was given original jurisdiction by s.75 of the Cth Constitution to judicially review (to issue writs) decisions made by officers of the Cth. However, it is not easy to get to the HC – it reserves itself for important decisions. • The Federal Ct was created in 1976 to relieve the workload of the HC and today nearly all judicial review applications go firstly to the Fed Ct.
THERE ARE TWO WAYS OF GOING TO THE FEDERAL CRT:
1. Common law jurisdiction (given to it by s.39B of the Judiciary Act).
2. The Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act (referred to as statutory judicial review).
• The ADJR Act was one of the components of a package of administrative law reform which took place at a Cth level in the 1970s. • The ADJR was created to make it easier for an applicant to seek action before the Ct.
The ADJR Act did three things in reforming judicial review before the Fed Ct.
1. It provides a “codified” system of JR of decisions made under federal law.
2. It sought to eliminate the problems that plague CL JR - the problem of having to choose the correct writ (remedy) to challenge the action. The ADJR provides for one remedy only (an order of review).
3. It established the Fed Ct as the principal Ct for JR of administrative decision-making in the Fed system.
← If you CANNOT succeed in an action under the ADJR Act by order of review (Statute), then look to s.39B of the Judiciary Act (CL).
ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS (JUDICIAL REVIEW) ACT 1977 (CTH)
In order to use the ADJR Act what do you need to be able to show the Ct? (jurisdictional prerequisites) • S.5 ADJR allows you to review “a decision to which this Act applies”. • S.6 allows you to challenge “conduct engaged