Abstract
On 27 November 2001, the High Court brought the Tampa case to an abrupt halt. A panel of three justices refused to consider an appeal from a split decision of the Full Federal Court upholding the lawfulness of the detention and expulsion of the Tampa refugees. The decision effectively sanctioned the federal government's continued use of military force to remove asylum seekers from territorial waters and transport them to detention camps on remote Pacific islands. The verdict meant that hundreds of asylum seekers remained incarcerated, at the behest of the Australian government, in hellish conditions on the tiny island of Nauru. This article examines the refusal of the High Court to hear the case despite the undeniable existence of 'questions of law' of 'public importance'.
Original language | English |
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Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Griffith Law Review |
Publication status | Published - 2003 |
Keywords
- Asylum, Right of
- Australia
- Australia. High Court
- Legal status, laws, etc.
- Refugees
- Tampa (Ship)