161Reference of questions of law to Federal Court of Australia

161  Reference of questions of law to Federal Court of Australia

 (1) The Tribunal may, of its own motion or at the request of a party, refer a question of law arising in proceedings before it for determination by the Federal Court of Australia.

 (2) A question shall not be referred to the Federal Court of Australia by virtue of the last preceding subsection in pursuance of a request made after the date on which the Tribunal gave its decision in the proceedings unless the request is made before the expiration of such period as is prescribed.

 (3) If the Tribunal, after giving its decision in any proceedings, refuses a request to refer a question to the Federal Court of Australia, the party by whom the request was made may, within such period as is prescribed, apply to the Federal Court of Australia for an order directing the Tribunal to refer the question to the Federal Court of Australia.

 (4) Where a reference is made to the Federal Court of Australia under this section with respect to any proceedings before the Tribunal, and where an application is made under the last preceding subsection with respect to any such proceedings, every party to the proceedings before the Tribunal is entitled to appear and to be heard.

 (5) Where, after the Tribunal has given its decision in any proceedings, the Tribunal refers to the Federal Court of Australia under this section a question of law that arose in the course of the proceedings, and the Federal Court of Australia decides that the question was erroneously determined by the Tribunal:

 (a) the Tribunal shall reconsider the matter in dispute and, if it considers it necessary to do so for the purpose of giving effect to the decision of the Federal Court of Australia, shall give to the parties to the proceedings a further opportunity of presenting their cases; and

 (b) if it appears to the Tribunal to be appropriate, and in conformity with the decision of the Federal Court of Australia, to do so, the Tribunal shall make such order revoking or modifying any order previously made by it in the proceedings, or, in the case of proceedings under section 157 where the Tribunal refused to make an order, shall make such order under that section, as the Tribunal considers to be appropriate.

 (6) A reference of a question by the Tribunal to the Federal Court of Australia under this section shall be by way of stating a case for the opinion of the Federal Court of Australia.

 (7) Jurisdiction is conferred on the Federal Court of Australia to hear and determine a question of law referred to it under this section.

 (8) For the purposes of this section, a question of law does not include a question whether there is sufficient evidence to justify a finding of fact by the Tribunal.