Proposed ground 3 - use of the descriptor 'junior'
78 The proposed appeal point arises out of the finding by the Authority (at [28]-[29] of its reasons) that it was willing to accept that the appellant's contract with KBR ended in November 2011 (and not later) and that he held a junior position in the provisioning area of KBR, a company contracted to the US military.
79 The starting point for proposed ground 3 is the appellant's leave application. The principles applicable to such applications were collected in SZLPH v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2018] FCAFC 145 (Besanko, Gleeson and Burley JJ) as follows:
[28] The appellant acknowledges that proposed grounds (1) and (2) are new grounds raised for the first time on appeal. Thus, the proposed amended notice of appeal does not in substance engage with the decision of the FCCA but rather focuses on that of the delegate. The appellant requires the leave of this Court to rely on them. The relevant principles for deciding whether to grant leave to raise a ground of challenge for the first time on appeal are set out in VUAX v Minister for Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs [2004] FCAFC 158; (2004) 238 FCR 588 at [46]-[48], as follows:
[46] … Leave to argue a ground of appeal not raised before the primary judge should only be granted if it is expedient in the interests of justice to do so: O'Brien v Komesaroff [1982] HCA 33; (1982) 150 CLR 310; H v Minister for Immigration & Multicultural Affairs; and Branir Pty Ltd v Owston Nominees (No 2) Pty Ltd [2001] FCA 1833; (2001) 117 FCR 424 at [20]-[24] and [38].
[47] In Coulton v Holcombe [1986] HCA 33; (1986) 162 CLR 1, Gibbs CJ, Wilson, Brennan and Dawson JJ observed, in their joint judgment, at 7:
It is fundamental to the due administration of justice that the substantial issues between the parties are ordinarily settled at the trial. If it were not so the main arena for the settlement of disputes would move from the court of first instance to the appellate court, tending to reduce the proceedings in the former court to little more than a preliminary skirmish.
[48] The practice of raising arguments for the first time before the Full Court has been particularly prevalent in appeals relating to migration matters. The Court may grant leave if some point that was not taken below, but which clearly has merit, is advanced, and there is no real prejudice to the respondent in permitting it to be agitated. Where, however, there is no adequate explanation for the failure to take the point, and it seems to be of doubtful merit, leave should generally be refused. In our view, the proposed ground of appeal has no merit. There is no justification, therefore, for permitting it to be raised for the first time before this Court.
The statement of principle in Sun v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2016] FCAFC 52; (2016) 243 FCR 220 at [89]-[90] is to similar effect.
[29] In MZYPO v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2013] FCAFC 1, the Full Court addressed an application for leave to raise on appeal matters not put to the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia, where the appellant had been unrepresented and put on no submissions at all. The Full Court said (at [66] to [68]):
[66] In our opinion, if there was some merit in grounds 2 and 3, this would be a case where it would be expedient in the interests of justice to allow the grounds to be put for the first time.
[67] However, we do not mean to say that appellants in administrative law matters of the kind with which this Court is concerned are entitled to think that they can put forward any new argument that occurs to their legal advisers on the appeal, whether or not it has been put before the Court at first instance.
[68] All arguments, which an applicant wishes to put before the Court, must be put before the Court at first instance to be dealt with by that Court. The parties in a proceeding are entitled to expect that the opposing party, if an applicant, will have put all arguments upon which that applicant claims to be entitled to any relief or, if a respondent, will have put all defences upon which that respondent relies for dismissing the application. The Full Court is entitled to have the benefit of the reasons for judgment of the Court at first instance in respect of all arguments, in conducting its rehearing of the appeal. Although on this application we are inclined to decide the application by reference to the merits of the proposed new grounds, it cannot be thought that this Court should proceed on that basis in all cases. If the Court were compelled to consider an application of this kind by reference to whether or not the application would succeed, then that would have the de facto result that an appellant could raise any ground the appellant liked without reference to the arguments put before the Court at first instance.
80 The appellant was represented before the Federal Circuit Court. There was no explanation proffered as to why the ground was not raised previously, save for counsel's submission that the failure to do so was not deliberate. Although the appellant's employment by KBR was squarely raised and a topic before the primary judge, no issue was taken with the Authority's use of the term 'junior'. Counsel for the appellant submitted that it is a critical word, and is a description unsupported by and contrary to evidence. Counsel submitted that use of the word indicates that it was a critical fact in the Authority's decision that the appellant was not at risk of harm as a result of his employment.
81 A difficulty with the proposed ground is that it comprises an invitation to embark on merits review. Further, it is an allegation of an error of fact, and as such would not ordinarily disclose jurisdictional error.
82 It is important in any event to put the statement in context.
83 There was some evidence about the appellant's employment. It was not all accepted by the Authority. For example, the Authority did not accept evidence that the appellant's employment continued beyond November 2011 to 2012 or 2013, as claimed.
84 The Authority referred to the nature of the appellant's employment. His role was to process orders for food and water. There was also evidence before the Authority (although not referred to) comprising certificates that referred to the appellant's role as a warehouseman. One of the certificates referred to him as a 'warehouseman, senior'. However, the appellant's evidence in his own statement in support of his visa application was that he was not able to find a job after completing some accounting studies and so between 2010 and 2012 he worked on a fixed term contract for a US defence contractor and a subsidiary of the Halliburton Group in Nasiriya, where he 'processed orders for food and water for United States troops'. The certificates included in the materials do not otherwise expand upon or explain the role he actually undertook. Elsewhere in its reasons the Authority recited the appellant's evidence that he worked with 11 other Iraqi employees in his section of KBR on the US base, and that KBR had around 10 sections, a matter that suggested many others were also employed on the base. The nature of the appellant's role as he described it should not be ignored. I note that elsewhere in its reasons the appellant was described by the Authority as being in a 'low-level role'.
85 As is clear from its reasons at [43], the Authority noted that opposition to the US and other Western nations had diminished in recent years such that the risk of violence to those who had worked with the international community was moderate. It also acknowledged those most at risk were those 'closely involved with the US military'. In that context, the appellant's personal circumstances were relevant, and were considered by the Authority. It considered the nature of his job. As its findings make clear, it did not accept that the appellant was threatened as claimed or that he was perceived to have shared information with the US military. The Authority did not accept that the appellant was targeted by any group on the basis of his past employment with the KBR. These were important factors in coming to the view that the appellant was not of any current adverse interest to Shia or other armed groups as a result of his employment with the KBR.
86 I also note that the Authority, in the context of considering whether the appellant had a well-founded fear of persecution, did not accept that the appellant would be of any adverse interest to any Shia militia group on the basis he left Iraq and would be returning to Iraq having lived in Australia for some years.
87 In my view, there is no error disclosed by the Authority's description of the appellant's role as 'junior' (or for that matter, low-level). I do not accept the appellant's submission that there was no evidence to support that description. The role described by the appellant could appropriately be so described, taking into account his own evidence. The proposed ground places much weight on the word 'junior' without regard to the evidence as a whole. Furthermore, at most, the low-level or 'junior' nature of the appellant's job was but one factor taken into account in the Authority's reasoning. In light of his evidence as to his role, those descriptions are not without a rational basis. Nor are they illogical. Counsel for the appellant appeared to accept that the reference to 'senior' in the context of the warehouse certificate did not lead to a conclusion that the appellant was in a position at KBR that should properly be described as 'senior'.
88 As Robertson J put it in Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZRKT [2013] FCA 317; (2013) 212 FCR 99 at [148], for a decision to be vitiated for jurisdictional error based on illogical or irrational findings of fact or reasoning, 'extreme' illogicality or irrationality must be shown, 'measured against the standard that it is not enough for the question of fact to be one on which reasonable minds may come to different conclusions'.
89 Further, where the impugned finding is but one of a number of findings that may have led to the Authority's ultimate conclusion, jurisdictional error will generally not be made out.
90 As Wigney J stated in Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZUXN [2016] FCA 516:
[54] The Minister's submission in that regard is rejected. The judgment of Crennan and Bell JJ in SZMDS reveals that jurisdictional error may be able to be established on the basis of illogical reasoning or illogical or irrational findings "on the way" to the final conclusion (see 648 [132]): see also SZRKT at 137-138 [151]-[153]; SZWCO v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2016] FCA 51 at [61]-[62].
[55] Nevertheless, allegations of illogical or irrational reasoning or findings of fact must be considered against the framework of the inquiry being whether or not there has been jurisdictional error on the part of the Tribunal: SZRKT at 137 [148]. The overarching question is whether the Tribunal's decision was affected by jurisdictional error: SZRKT at 137-138 [151]. Even if an aspect of reasoning, or a particular factual finding, is shown to be irrational or illogical, jurisdictional error will generally not be established if that reasoning or finding of fact was immaterial, or not critical to, the ultimate conclusion or end result: Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZOCT (2010) 189 FCR 577 at 598-599 [83]-[84] (Nicholas J); SZNKO v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2013] FCA 123 at [113]. Where the impugned finding is but one of a number of findings that independently may have led to the Tribunal's ultimate conclusion, jurisdictional error will generally not be made out: SZRLQ v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (2013) 135 ALD 276 at 291 [66]; SZWCO at [64]-[67].
[56] An irrational or illogical finding, or irrational or illogical reasoning leading to a finding, by the Tribunal that the review applicant was not a credible or honest witness may in some circumstances lead to a finding of jurisdictional error. That would particularly be the case where the adverse credibility finding was critical to the Tribunal's decision that it was not satisfied that the applicant met the criteria for the grant of a visa. Whilst it is frequently said that findings as to credit are entirely matters for the Tribunal, such findings do not shield the Tribunal's decision-making processes from scrutiny: SZSHV v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2014] FCA 253 at [31]. Considerable caution must, however, be exercised before too readily acceding to a proposition that adverse findings as to credit expose jurisdictional error: SZVAP v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2015) 233 FCR 451 at 455-456 [14]-[15]. That is because assertions of illogicality and irrationality can all too readily be used to conceal what is in truth simply an attack on the merits of the Tribunal's findings and decision. In SZMDS, Crennan and Bell JJ (at 636 [96]) made it plain that the deployment of illogicality or irrationality to achieve merits review should not be sanctioned.
91 And as noted above, the High Court in Hossain v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection again confirmed that materiality is a requirement for jurisdictional error.
92 The mere description of the appellant's role as 'junior' does not, in my view, establish jurisdictional error. It does not suffer from the sort of extreme illogicality described by Robertson J. The Authority was aware of the role undertaken by the appellant at KBR. Its use of the term 'junior' should not be read in isolation. The authority had regard to the actual tasks the appellant said that he undertook.
93 The descriptor is not critical to the ultimate conclusion, in circumstances where the nature of the role has been identified. At [42] of its reasons, the Authority acknowledged that employees of companies associated with the US forces such as KBR may have been of adverse interest to Shia militia, but it was not satisfied that was so with respect to the appellant. It took into account not only his role but the length of time of his employment and the time that had subsequently elapsed since his employment. The ultimate conclusion that the appellant was not of any current adverse interest to Shia or other armed groups was also based on the fact that the Authority did not accept that the appellant was threatened by any such group as he had claimed and did not accept that he was perceived to have shared information with the US military. Those matters clearly informed the Authority's view as to whether the appellant was of any current adverse interest to such groups.
94 Accordingly, and applying the principles discussed above, I would not grant leave to add ground 3 in circumstances where it was not raised before the Federal Circuit Court. To my mind, it has no real prospect of success.