THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP Attorney-General Minister for Emergency Management Special Minister of State Minister for the Public Service and Integrity 19 August 2013 STATEMENT REGARDING RECEIPT OF LEGAL APPLICATION The Government has received an application filed in the Federal Court on behalf of a person who has been transferred to Papua New Guinea under the Regional Resettlement Arrangement. The Government has been advised that the application cannot be commenced in the Federal Court, and its lawyers will be objecting to the competency of the application. There will be no interruption to ongoing transfers, and Australian Government policy will continue to be fully implemented while this matter proceeds. The Government is very confident in the legal basis for its transfers to Papua New Guinea. It will vigorously defend any challenge to the regional processing arrangements with Papua New Guinea. In accordance with longstanding convention, the Government will not be commenting further on this particular case.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Aug 2013 12:42:15 +0000