Solicitors: Crown Solicitor (Appellant)
File Number(s): 1532424
Decision under appeal Court or tribunal: Civil and Administrative Tribunal
Jurisdiction: Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division
Citation: Vandenbovenkamp v Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW [2015] NSWCATAD 68
Date of Decision: 13 April 2015
Before: J Kelly, Senior Member
File Number(s): 1410595
[2]
REASONS FOR DECISION
This appeal raises issues in relation to the proper interpretation of the provisions of the Education Act 1990 (the Education Act) relating to decisions in relation to applications for home schooling.
The appellant is the statutory body responsible for the general administration of the registration, curriculum and related aspects of the school system of New South Wales. Home schooling is one of the forms of compulsory schooling permitted by the Education Act. A parent may apply to the Minister have a child home schooled (s 71). The application is first considered by 'authorised persons' (as defined in s 70). The 'authorised person' makes a recommendation to the Minister to grant or refuse the application, and as to any conditions that might attach to any approval. These recommendations are reviewable decisions. If internal review is unsuccessful, the applicant may apply to the Tribunal for review (ss 107, 108).
The respondent is a parent who applied to the Minister under s 71 for her two sons to be home schooled. The authorised person recommended against a parent's applications in respect of her two children, on the ground that the father of the children had not given consent; confirmed on internal review. The applicant and the father were the subject of a Family Court joint parenting order which required them to make jointly long term decisions as to various matters affecting the children including education. To approve the mother's applications would, it was considered, give rise to a breach of the Family Court order. The authorised persons therefore considered that the application should be refused.
The Tribunal held that the application should not be refused for those reasons. In its view the authorised person should proceed to consider the merits of the application: Vandenbovenkamp v Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW [2015] NSWCATAD 68 (13 April 2005). In the course of its reasons the Tribunal made a number of positive observations as to the merits of the application. The Tribunal's formal order disposing of the proceedings is:
The Tribunal recommends that the applications for registration for home schooling be considered on their merits and not be refused because of the court order and the father's not consenting to the applications.
[3]
Background
In July 2013 the respondent applied to have her two sons home schooled. The boys were then aged 15 and nearly 12. They were in Years 9 and 6, respectively. She disclosed, as required by the appellant's procedure, that she and their father were the subject of a parenting order made by the Family Court on 4 December 2004. Clause 2 of the order required them to make jointly decisions in relation to the 'long-term care, welfare development of the children including, but not limited to, decisions related to education, health and moral development'. The respondent provided a consent to the application from her former husband. The application was granted. The registration was for the 12 months, 28 August 2013 to 27 August 2014.
In July 2014 the respondent applied to the Minister for renewal of the registration for the year commencing 28 August 2014. She did not provide a new consent from her former husband. In support she relied on the father's 2013 consent. An officer of the appellant telephoned the father on 7 August 2014 to seek his confirmation to the continuation of the consent. The father responded on 8 August 2014 and stated that he was unhappy with how the home schooling had progressed, and he no longer consented (see further Tribunal reasons at [8]-[11]). The authorised person refused to make a recommendation for continuation of home schooling, because to do so would contravene a court order. The respondent applied for internal review.
The review was undertaken by the appellant's Director, School Accreditation and Registration Standards, also an authorised person. The appellant obtained additional comments from the father (see paras [15]-[17] of the Tribunal's reasons). The Director confirmed the original decision on the ground that 'it would be unlawful … to register the children [for home schooling] in the absence of contemporaneous evidence of the consent of both parties' (22 September 2014). The respondent applied to the Tribunal for review of that decision (23 October 2014). The Tribunal heard the application on 3 March 2015 and published its decision on 13 April 2015.
The boys' present situation is that they are enrolled in a school that provides distance education, and they participate in that form of education from home.
[4]
Effect of Father's Refusal to Provide Consent
The Tribunal, as agreed by the parties, first considered whether the authorised person was required to recommend refusal of the applicant's application because of the Family Court order and the father's revocation of his consent to the children being home schooled. The Tribunal held that the authorised person was not bound to refuse the application because of those circumstances.
It considered that the failure to give consent by the other parent was simply to be considered to the extent that it is relevant. The Tribunal rejected the suggestion that in the case of parents with joint parenting responsibility in relation to long term decisions as to education it should not inquire into the basis for an objection from one of them to home schooling, and appraise it.
[5]
Merits of Application
As noted earlier, the Tribunal's final order was non-conclusive in its terms. The Tribunal did refer to a variety of considerations that favoured a positive conclusion in relation to the application.
The Court Order had 26 paragraphs, some with considerable detail in relation to such matters as the timing and conduct of contact visits by the father, and holidays with the father. There were requirements that the father undertake parenting courses and be free of the effects of drugs of addiction, and the like.
In reaching its view that the 'correct and preferable' decision was to recommend consideration of the application on its merits, the Tribunal emphasised that the children have only ever lived with their mother since the incident of 2001. The younger child (born after the separation) had never resided with his father.
The Tribunal referred in some detail to the level of actual contact between the father and the children in the years since the making of the order. Between 2003 and 2007 there was regular contact. In the years since there has been none or minimal contact (see the Tribunal's account at paras [27]-[37]). The respondent referred, in addition, at the appeal hearing, to health and other factors personal to the boys which justified home schooling.
(We note that in using the terminology 'correct and preferable', the Tribunal picked up the description of the Tribunal's task on administrative review found at s 63(1) of the Administrative Decisions Review Act 1997 (ADR Act), s 63(1). In this area of jurisdiction it is, we think, inappropriate to refer directly or indirectly to s 63 as a source of authority. Section 108(1) of the Education Act sets out, exhaustively, the order-making powers of the Tribunal. Furthermore, s 108(2) states that this provision applies 'to the exclusion of' s 63 of the ADR Act'.)
[6]
The Appeal
The appeal was lodged on 13 April 2015. It is brought under s 80(2)(b) of the Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013. The appeal relates to an 'ancillary decision' (see s 4). Section 80(2)(b) gives a party to such a decision a right to appeal on questions of law. The appellant's grounds of appeal (notice of appeal as amended 2 June 2015) are expressed as follows:
1. The Tribunal erred in concluding that, where:
(a) the Family Court makes a parenting order in respect of a child under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) providing for joint parental responsibility for decisions relating to education; and
(b) one parent objects to the child being home schooled,
an authorised person under the Education Act 1990 (NSW) must weigh the objection against other factors and assess the reasons for the objection.
2. The Tribunal erred in failing to conclude that, where:
(a) the Family Court makes a parenting order in respect of a child under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) providing for joint parental responsibility for decisions relating to education; and
(b) one parent objects to the child being home schooled,
an authorised person under the Education Act 1990 (NSW) must recommend to the Minister that an application for registration of the child for home schooling should be refused without weighing the objection against other factors or assessing the reasons for the objection.
The proposition underlying both of these grounds is that the authorised person must recommend refusal of the application on the ground that the non-applicant parent has not consented to the application, where there is a joint parenting order in force covering decisions as to the long term education of the child. The authorised person cannot proceed to consider the merits of the application.
The parties filed written submissions as follows: appellant (27 July 2015), respondent (24 August 2015), appellant in reply (14 September 2015).
The appellant noted at the appeal hearing that the appellant had not gone so far as to submit to the Tribunal below that it was mandatory for authorised persons (and the Tribunal on review) to reject an application at the threshold in circumstances where a joint parenting order vested shared parental responsibility in both parents and one parent did not consent to the application. The appellant's case, at first instance, was, we understand, that it was a sufficient reason for recommending against the application that it was not accompanied by a contemporaneous consent. Now the argument is that it the absence of contemporaneous consent is determinative, because it is not open to one parent in these circumstances to exercise a power that by court order has been vested in the two parents jointly.
[7]
Relevant Legislative Provisions
'Parental responsibility' is broadly defined by the Family Law Act 1975 to mean 'all the powers, responsibilities and authority which, by law, parents have in relation to children': s 61B. Section 61C gives each parent 'parental responsibility' for the child. The order in issue was a 'parenting order' within the meaning of s 64B(1) of the Family Law Act 1975, as it stood on 4 December 2004. It was of a type that is further sub-described as a 'specific issues order' (s 64B(6)). Such an order may 'confer on a person (whether alone or jointly with another person) responsibility for the long-term care, welfare and development of the child'. Section 61D(2) allows a parenting order to remove parental responsibility of a person for the child, but only 'to the extent (if any): (a) expressly provided for in the order; or (b) necessary to give effect to the order'.
The Education Act commences with 'a statement of the principles on which this Act is based (s 4). There are four, i.e.:
(a) every child has the right to receive an education,
(b) the education of a child is primarily the responsibility of the child's parents,
(c) it is the duty of the State to ensure that every child receives an education of the highest quality
(d) the principal responsibility of the State in the education of children is the provision of public education.
Section 5 then sets of the 'principal objects' of the Act. There are five. Relevant to this case is object (d):
(d) to allow children to be educated at home.
The Act imposes a duty on parents to have their children schooled within the education system of the State. Section 22 provides
22 Compulsory schooling - duty of parents
It is the duty of the parent of a child of compulsory school-age to cause the child:
(a) to be enrolled at, and to attend, a government school or a registered non-government school, or
(b) to be registered for home schooling under Part 7 and to receive instruction in accordance with the conditions to which the registration is subject.
(2) That duty is satisfied if the child receives instruction of a kind referred to in section 23 (2).
(3) Schooling required by this section is referred to in this Act as compulsory schooling.
Section 23 is the provision which makes it an offence for a parent to fail to send their children to school. Section 23(1) provides:
(1) A parent of a child of compulsory school-age is guilty of an offence if the parent fails to cause the child:
(a) to be enrolled at, and to attend, a government school or a registered non-government school, or
(b) to be registered for home schooling under Part 7.
Maximum penalty:
(a) in the case of a first offence - 25 penalty units, or
(b) in the case of a second or subsequent offence - 50 penalty units, or
(c) in the case of a parent subject to a compulsory schooling order - 100 penalty units.
There are a number of defences found in s 23(2). Relevant to the situation that now exists in this case, defence (b) provides:
(2) It is a defence to a prosecution under this section if at the relevant time:
…
(b) the child was enrolled at a government or registered non-government school and participating in distance education provided by the school … .
Section 71 of the Act provides for the procedure for applying for home schooling:
(1) A parent of a child may apply to the Minister for registration of the child for home schooling.
(2) As soon as practicable after such an application, the Minister is to obtain advice on the application from an authorised person.
(3) The authorised person is to notify the applicant in writing of a recommendation to the Minister that the application be refused.
Section 72 sets out the Minister's options after a recommendation is received.
72 Registration for home schooling
(1) As soon as practicable after receiving the recommendation of an authorised person about an application for registration of a child for home schooling, the Minister:
(a) is to register the child in a Register kept by the Minister for the purpose, or
(b) is to refuse to register the child.
(2) The Minister is to register the child if the Minister, having regard to:
(a) the recommendation of the authorised person about the application, and
(b) any decision of the Tribunal on an application for an administrative review of the authorised person's recommendation, is satisfied that the conditions subject to which registration is required to be given will be complied with.
(3) The Minister may register more than one child of any one parent for home schooling.
(4) If the authorised person recommends that the Minister refuse to register a child for home schooling, the Minister may not do so unless:
(a) 30 days have elapsed since the applicant was given written notice of the authorised person's recommendation and no application has been made to the Tribunal for an administrative review of the recommendation within those 30 days, or
(b) the Tribunal has determined an application for an administrative review (made within those 30 days) of the recommendation and the Minister has considered any contrary recommendation of the Tribunal and the reasons for it, or
(c) any such application for an administrative review of the recommendation has been withdrawn.
(5) The Minister is to notify the applicant in writing of the Minister's decision to refuse to register the child for home schooling.
(6) On registration of a child for home schooling, a certificate of registration is to be issued for the child to the applicant for registration.
[8]
Appellant's Submissions
The parties agreed that 'parental responsibility' embraces the duty of each parent to ensure that a child is schooled, as required by s 22 of the Education Act.
The appellant acknowledged that ordinarily a parent may choose to exercise, independently or jointly their responsibilities for the care and upbringing of the child or children of the relationship. However, a joint parenting order means that each parent may only exercise specified powers with the co-operation and consent of the other parent. The appellant noted that a parenting order may confer authority on a person (for example a grandmother) valid against the world to exercise rights when they could not otherwise do so because they are not a parent. The appellant submits therefore that as a matter of logic an order can remove or qualify the authority of a person validly to exercise rights as a parent.
The appellant referred to a number of early, leading authorities on the scope and operation of joint custody orders, the predecessor in type to the 'parenting order' under notice in this case.
In In the Marriage of Todd (No 2), (1976) 25 FLR 260 at 268, Watson J stated that an 'order of joint custody' under which one parent had care and control of the child 'implies that the parents will consult amicably as to [the child's] schooling and other matters relating to her general welfare'.
In In the Marriage of McEnearney (1980) FLC #90-866 at [75501] Nygh J dealt at some length with the nature and operation of such an order. His Honour drew a distinction between issues of day to day management which were the province of the carer parent and those which 'transcend the daily management' of the child. In the latter category he placed progress reports in relation to the child's education, and any plan to change the schooling of the child. He emphasised the importance of the parents being co-operative in relation to these matters, and if necessary obtaining the assistance of third parties such as counsellors. If this did not work then 'regretfully the parties may have to come back to this court and the court may have to act as arbiter or in extreme cases if it is just totally impossible to come to any agreement the custodial question may once again have to be resolved'. These observations were cited with strong approval by Watson SJ in In the Marriage of Cullen (1981) 8 Fam LR 35 (Full Court, Watson SJ, Bell and Strauss JJ) at 37-38.
The appellant's submission is that the present case is one to which these observations apply. If an authorised person were to proceed to deal with the application the person would, in effect, be a party to a circumvention of the Family Court's joint parenting order of 2004.
In reply, the respondent noted that Nygh J used the word 'may' in the passage quoted above, and therefore he was not being stipulative. In our view, his Honour was simply using 'may' to convey the point that the parties could chose to come to the court. He was not suggesting that it was acceptable in relation to a matter where joint responsibility had been vested in both parents for one parent to proceed unilaterally with a course of action on that matter opposed by the other parent. To similar effect, see Nygh J in In the Marriage of Chandler (1981) 6 Fam LR 736 at 740.
In Cullen, cited above, the Full Court dismissed an appeal by the father against the making of a sole custody order in favour of the mother. Each of the judges referred to the difficulties of practical administration that faced the parent with primary care responsibility in making decision in relation to the children's needs where there was a joint parenting order in force: for example, Watson SJ at 39, Strauss J at 45 and Bell J at 49. To similar effect, see In Marriage of B (1997) 140 FLR 11 (Nicholson CJ, Fogarty and Lindenmayer JJ); and In the Marriage of Vlug and Poulos (1997) 141 FLR 244 (Full Court) at 256. The respondent sought to draw on these observations in opposing as impractical the interpretation of the law for which the appellant contended.
The appellant also referred to Goode v Goode (2006) 206 FLR 212 (Full Court (Bryant CJ, Finn and Boland JJ), a case dealing with the more detailed provisions relating to joint parental responsibility introduced in 2006. The appellant drew attention to the following passage of the Court's reasons at 224-225, and argued that, though dealing with the nature of the new shared parental responsibility orders, the comments applied equally to the joint custody orders of the early years of the law, and the joint parenting order under notice in this case, i.e.:
We therefore consider that there is a difference between parental responsibility … and an order for shared parental responsibility. In the former the parties may still be together or may be separated. There will be no court order in effect and the parties will exercise the responsibility either independently or jointly. Once the Court has made an order allocating parental responsibility between two or more people, including an order for equal shared parental responsibility, the major decisions for the long-term care and welfare of the children must be made jointly, unless the Court otherwise provides.
The appellant submitted that where an application for home schooling is made by a parent the subject of a joint parenting order the application must be supported (or at the least, not opposed) by the other parent. If it is known that it is opposed by the other parent, the authorised person must, as a matter of law, recommend its refusal. The appellant submitted that an application from one parent, in these circumstances, is not valid. The effect of the joint parenting order was that neither parent had the power that each would otherwise have had to seek registration of their children for home schooling.
Finally, the appellant submitted that once one parent withdrew consent, no matter how reasonable or unreasonable that step, the other parent could no longer make an independent application for registration if affected by a joint parenting order in that respect. It followed, therefore, that an authorised person had no choice but to recommend against further consideration of the application.
The appellant used various terms in the course of argument to describe the nature of the invalidity that affected an application by one parent in a case of the present type: lack of 'capacity'; 'infirmity'; and at one point in the oral submissions, the appellant suggested that the applicant did not fall within the meaning of 'parent' for the purposes of s 71.
The appellant also referred to other consequences that would flow from any active consideration by an authorised person of an application from one parent in the present circumstances. For either parent to apply for registration without the consent of the other would constitute a breach of the joint parenting order. The appellant also submitted that an authorised person is not permitted by law to act in such a way as knowingly to facilitate such a breach. Section 65P creates and offence, providing that that a person must not hinder a 'carer' (i.e. a person to whom parental responsibility is allocated by a parenting order) in, or prevent the carer, from discharging that responsibility. The appellant's argument was that the appellant was herself in breach of that provision by pursuing the present application in that she was hindering the father in the pursuit of his responsibilities. The argument, further, is that the authorised person would be in breach in actioning any application from a parent subject to a joint parenting order who does not have the other parent's consent.
As to the order it sought if successful, the appellant submitted that it should be to 'confirm' the recommendation of the appellant (i.e. an order of the kind permitted by s 108(1)(a)).
While, as we have noted, some of the submissions of the appellant appeared to put in issue the question of whether the respondent was to be regarded as a 'parent' within the meaning of s 71, ultimately the appellant did not dispute that the respondent was a 'parent' within the ordinary meaning of that term (see submissions in reply).
[9]
Respondent's Submissions
The respondent referred to the various provisions of the Education Act that place obligations on each 'parent' to ensure that he or she comply with their duty to ensure that a child is schooled. Schooling up to a prescribed age is compulsory, and the law provides for two options - education in a school, or education at home. The respondent noted that there appeared to be no insistence by the appellant that both parents furnish consent for enrolment in a government school or for enrolment in distance education.
Section 34 provides that 'the parent of a may enrol the child at any government school if the child is eligible to attend the school and the school can accommodate the child'.
There is no suggestion, the respondent noted, that a parent is in any way limited by the terms of a joint parenting order in proceeding to apply to enrol a child in a government school A similar interpretation should be given to the making of an application for home schooling, the other form of schooling recognised by the Act. It should not be treated differently.
As to the Family Court authorities in relation to the operation of parenting orders, the respondent submitted that none of them imposed a duty on the parties to return to the court if there was a dispute over the implementation of a joint order. If they were obliged to bring matters back to court in the event of disagreement, as suggested by the appellant, the Family Court would be flooded with applications. The respondent drew attention to the observations of Strauss J at 45 in Cullen drawing attention to the undesirability of such an approach.
The respondent submitted that the term 'parent' is used throughout the Act and it should be given a consistent meaning. In relation to the question of whether the respondent was 'in breach' of the joint parenting order in proceeding to apply to renew the registration, a practical approach needs to be taken to the understanding the effects that parenting orders have on the parents that are subject to them.
The respondent criticised the appellant's reliance on s 65P of the Family Law Act. The respondent submitted that a pragmatic approach needs to be adopted in relation to issues where separated parents are in dispute over the educational needs of their children, and commended the approach reflected in the Family Related Issues Guideline of the Department of Education which gives preference in disputes over enrolment, attendance and home schooling issues to the preference of the parent with whom the child is then living.
As to the argument that the authorised officer would, by actioning the application be facilitating a breach, the respondent replied that the officer's role is merely one of giving advice to the Minister on the application. There is nothing, it is submitted, in the Education Act to suggest that the officer cannot proceed to furnish advice in a situation where the parents are subject to a joint parenting order.
[10]
Consideration
Until this case, it would seem that an authorised person did proceed to examine the merits of an applicant parent's application for a child to be schooled at home, even if there was a joint parenting order in force in relation to long term decisions as to education, and the other parent had not provided consent: see, e.g. Wilshaw & Wilshaw (No 3) [2015] FamCA 843 (9 October 2015) (Hannam J) at [201].
The usual starting point in the interpretation of the statute is to give the words of the statute under notice their usual and ordinary meaning. This is not a case where there is an imprecision in the words used, or the words have any apparent special meaning or connotation. Section 71 is simple and clear in its terms. There is nothing in the terms of s 71 that precludes any parent of a child from making an application for home schooling, a point acknowledged by the appellant (submissions in reply at [11]).
There is no suggestion in the appellant's submission that the Parliament failed to deal with the problem now identified through inadvertence or by failing to insert words that it had meant to insert. Nor is there anything in the words of the relevant provisions of the Family Law Act that bear on the issue that this case raises.
Legislation sometimes limits or denies a right to apply because of external factors affecting the applicant. Common examples are serious criminal convictions or bankruptcy, both of which result from the making of court orders. Here, s 71 places no express restrictions of that kind on the right of a 'parent' to apply.
The appellant's arguments necessarily imply that a parent the subject of a joint parenting order that relates to decisions about education is not entitled to have a home schooling application considered substantively, either without the consent of the other parent, or, at the least, where it is known that the parent opposes the application. There is no suggestion in the appellant's submission that the Parliament failed to deal with the problem that it has identified through inadvertence or by failing to insert words that it had meant to insert. Nor is there anything in the relevant words of the Family Law Act that bear on the issue that this case raises.
In our view, the provisions of the Education Act should be construed in a way that gives effect to its principles and relevant objects (set out earlier in these reasons). An approach should be taken to the construction of the provisions that promotes a beneficial interpretation of the Act, and supports the education of children in the most appropriate form, given their circumstances.
The Act places obligations on parents to ensure that their children are schooled. It is common for children of school age to be in the care of one parent who has separated or divorced from the other parent. The Parliament, as we see it, can be assumed to have had an understanding of the complexity of the care and living arrangements that affect many children of school age. Australian family law, as the cases cited by the appellant show, has long included machinery allowing the non-carer parent to participate in important decisions affecting the long term upbringing of children of the marriage.
The judgments of the eminent Family Court judges assist in relation to the question of where the line is to be drawn between decisions relating to the day to day care of children, and decisions of a long term kind. The decisions assist in explaining the way in which separated or divorced parents bound by joint orders should go about resolving disputes over long term decisions for which they have joint responsibility. They recognise that the Court is the ultimate authority in relation to those disputes.
But none of the judgments deal directly with the problem raised by this case, that of the effect of a joint parenting order on the capacity of one parent who is a party to a joint parenting order relating to long term educational decisions to apply alone to the State authority for a child to be home schooled.
In our view, the Education Act does not prevent an authorised person from considering an application from a parent affected by a joint parenting order that might be seen as covering home schooling. We are not satisfied that it or any other law prevents the authorised person from going on to consider the merits of the application even if one parent has not given consent to the application.
For similar reasons, we do not consider that it is necessarily improper for an authorised person to proceed to deal with an application because the making of the application may have involved on the parent applicant a breach of the Family Court order.
We agree with the view expressed by the Tribunal below. The other parent can take any objection to the Family Court. The Court may make orders restraining further action by the applicant parent, and by the authorised person. The Court is in a better position, in any case, than the authorised person to determine whether the conduct does breach the order, properly construed, and to assess the significance or otherwise of the breach. Further it has power to vary the order, and, possibly end the joint parenting requirement (as seen in the case mentioned earlier, Wilshaw).
As we see it, the authorised person should simply proceed to deal with the application having regard to relevant educational considerations. The authorised person might wish enquire into the existence and terms of any joint parenting order that may bear on the subject matter of the application, and the attitude of the other parent. They are relevant matters. The authorised person may wish to give consideration to the impact of disputation between the parents on the practicality of home schooling.
The appeal grounds, and submissions in support, also invite the conclusion that the authorised person could refuse to deal with applications for home schooling from a parent on the basis that the very act of application was an act of hindrance of officials in the performance of their duties and its consideration by those officials might facilitate a breach of the law by the authorised officer.
The applicant will often be, as here, a parent who has had sole, day to day responsibility for the care and upbringing of the children over most of their lives. The application is likely to be informed by a strong view as to what is seen to be the best way of meeting the duty to have the children schooled. Suggesting to applicants of this kind that their application is itself seeking to facilitate a breach of a court order by an authorised person is not a productive way to undertake administrative decision making. It does not foster an atmosphere in which 'administrative review by the Tribunal', or for that matter by administrators, 'is viewed positively as a means of enhancing the delivery of services and programs' by administrators: see objects of the ADR Act, s 3.
The appellant alluded in the submissions to s 109 of the Constitution, the contention, it would seem, being that the law governing the order-making powers of the Family Court prevails over inconsistent State laws. The inconsistent State law in this case is said to be s 71 of the Education Act in that it permits an application that is non-compliant with the terms of a joint parenting order to be received and determined. The point was not pursued in any detail, and we have not considered the submission any further.
[11]
The Appropriate Order
The question that remains is the appropriate order. As noted earlier the Tribunal made a non-conclusive order. It dealt with a preliminary point of a jurisdictional kind.
The Tribunal's order making powers are found in s 108 of the Education Act. They are not as flexible as the order making powers that usually apply in administrative review cases (as to which see s 63(3) of the ADR Act). Section 108(1) provides relevantly:
108 Determination of application by Tribunal
(1) On application for the administrative review of a recommendation or decision, the Tribunal may:
(a) confirm the recommendation, direction or decision, or …
(b) in the case of an application for the administrative review of a recommendation of the Board or other person or body - make a different recommendation to the Minister concerning the subject-matter of the application.
As we see it, s 108 contemplates that either the Tribunal confirm the underlying decision, or provide a 'different recommendation' to 'the Minister'. Section 108(2) reinforces the point that there should be no remittal to the authorised person. As previously noted, s 108(2) states that s 108 applies 'to the exclusion' of s 65 of the ADR Act. This is the power that allows the Tribunal to remit a matter to the administrator for reconsideration.
We face the same difficulty that led the Tribunal to make the order it did. In the case of the 2013 application an authorised person qualified as a schools inspector made an appraisal of the application. The 2014 application, it would seem, has never reached that point.
Having upheld the appeal, it is not clear to us what order should now be made. In these circumstances, our conclusion is that there should be a short directions hearing to consider that issue.
[12]
Order
1. Appeal dismissed.
2. Registrar to re-list matter for consideration of appropriate order in light of this decision.
[13]
I hereby certify that this is a true and accurate record of the reasons for decision of the Civil and Administrative Tribunal of New South Wales.
Registrar
DISCLAIMER - Every effort has been made to comply with suppression orders or statutory provisions prohibiting publication that may apply to this judgment or decision. The onus remains on any person using material in the judgment or decision to ensure that the intended use of that material does not breach any such order or provision. Further enquiries may be directed to the Registry of the Court or Tribunal in which it was generated.
Decision last updated: 07 December 2015
Parties
Applicant/Plaintiff:
Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards