CASE NOTE
RE DLSV AND MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND
BORDER PROTECTION [2017] AATA 2999 (27
NOVEMBER 2017)
KIM RUBENSTEIN * AND ELIZABETH HARRIS †
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
Introduction........................................................................................................... 177
Facts ...................................................................................................................... 178
Statelessness in the Australian Citizenship Act 2007............................................ 179
Holding ................................................................................................................. 180
Reasoning and Analysis ........................................................................................ 180
A The Reasonable Steps Test ....................................................................... 180
B Contradiction between Law and Practice on the Part of the
Zimbabwean Authorities .......................................................................... 181
C Role of the Registrar-General ................................................................... 182
Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 182
I
INTRODUCTION
This case note flows from a pro bono matter run by Professor Kim Rubenstein and
students in her 2017 Australian National University administrative law class. 1
Re DLSV and Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (‘Re DLSV’) 2
was an application for review to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (‘AAT’)
from a decision by the respondent denying the applicant’s citizenship under s 21(8)
of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (Cth) (‘Act’). 3
Born to Zimbabwean parents in Australia, the applicant was ineligible for
Australian citizenship by birth alone because s 12 of the Act requires that at least
one parent was an Australian citizen or permanent resident at the time the person
was born, and this was not satisfied. 4 The AAT was asked to determine whether
*
†
1
2
3
4
Kim Rubenstein is a Professor in the Australian National University Law School and a Public
Policy Fellow at the Australian National University. She can be contacted at
kim.rubenstein@anu.edu.au.
Elizabeth Harris is a law student at the Australian National University. She can be contacted
at elizabethpsrharris@gmail.com.
You can read more about this aspect of student involvement in the case in ‘Monthly Bulletin’
(Institute
on
Statelessness
and
Inclusion,
January
2018)
<https://mailchi.mp/c8d0c908d1d4/statelessness-bulletin-january-1644161?e=63d4bfc24f>.
[2017] AATA 2999 (27 November 2017) (‘Re DLSV’).
The Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (Cth) provides in s 52 that decisions made under s 24
based on an applicant’s eligibility under s 21(8) can be reviewed by the Administrative
Appeals Tribunal (‘AAT’). The AAT stands in the shoes of the original decision maker and
has the power to make what it determines is the correct or preferable decision. See
Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 (Cth) s 43(1); Re Drake and Minister for
Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (No 2) (1979) 2 ALD 634.
Re DLSV (n 2) [7]–[8].