Marawa v Commonwealth of Australia

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT 1 In these two proceedings, the applicants are infants and the proceedings have been brought by the next friend of the respective applicants. In the proceedings, declarations are sought concerning the validity of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 (Cth) ('the Act') together with declarations that the applicants have acquired Australian citizenship. 2 It is common ground that each proceeding raises precisely the same legal question as was raised on behalf of similar applicants in nine other proceedings, Nos 305, 306, 307, 339, 350, 364, 408, 446 and 542 of 2005. In those proceedings, I made orders for summary dismissal for reasons that I gave on 4 May 2005 - see Doumit v Minister for Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs [2005] FCA 666. To the extent that leave is necessary to appeal from the orders that I have made in those proceedings, application for leave has been made and has been the subject of directions by Moore J as the Appeals List Judge. 3 Motions have been filed by the respondents in these proceedings seeking summary dismissal on the same grounds. It was suggested, at one stage, that the appropriate course might be to adjourn the hearing of the motions. However, it seems to me that the more appropriate course is to deal with these motions, having regard to the view that I have already expressed. My view is that both of these proceedings should be dismissed summarily. The appropriate course would be for any application for leave to appeal from such summary dismissal orders be dealt with at the same time as the applications in the other nine matters. 4 Accordingly, for the reasons that I gave on 4 May 2005, I propose to order that each of the proceedings be dismissed with costs. I will direct that any application for leave to appeal from my orders be listed at the same time as the applications for leave to appeal in the other nine proceedings, which I have identified.