INACCURATE REPORTING OF JUSTICE LOGAN’S DECISION CONCERNING MR JAGDEEP SINGH

The Judicial Conference of Australia, is concerned that the report in today’s Herald Sun of the decision of Justice Logan, sitting in the Administrative Appeal Tribunal, to grant Mr Jagdeep Singh a bridging visa inaccurately records the effect and reasoning of the decision. “The report was inaccurate and unfairly described Justice Logan’s reasons and decision” the President of the JCA, Justice Robert Beech-Jones stated.

The report stated that the Acting President of the AAT, Justice Logan, had “thwarted Immigration Minister Peter Dutton by again saving ‘sex creep’ Jagdeep Singh from deportation” and had “overturned a ministerial decision to kick the taxi driver out of Australia”.

Justice Logan decided no such thing. Instead Justice Logan determined that Mr Singh should receive a bridging visa to allow him to be released from custody pending his departure from Australia.

The decision under review by Justice Logan concerned a Bridging visa E – subclass 050 which, if granted, bridges the period pending the final determination of a person’s immigration status. The only effect of the visa in this case is to allow Mr Singh to be released into the community, subject to conditions, rather than being held in immigration detention, pending that final determination.

Justice Logan’s decision records that Mr Singh is making arrangements to leave Australia voluntarily by the end of July. His present immigration status is dependent on the fate of a work visa review application made by his wife (of whom he is a dependent), which is pending in the AAT. Mr Singh said in evidence that he expects that his wife plans to discontinue that application and to depart Australia voluntarily with him.

Anyone who is concerned about or interested in the decision can read Justice Logan’s reasons here.

The Judicial Conference of Australia is the professional association of judges and magistrates in Australia.

For further information, contact the Judicial Conference of Australia Secretariat.