31:
504:
518:
459:, said the decision created "an entirely new category of people in terms of what the government can and can't do" a non-citizen non-alien, or "belonger". Porter said that the government would be looking to deport the small group of Aboriginal non-citizens who have committed serious offences in a different way.
426:
Kiefel CJ criticised
Edelman J who in his judgement argued that it would create a "hopeless and incoherent contradiction" within the legal system if despite the recognition of native title Aboriginal Australians could be treated as aliens. She stated that it would be wrong to assume that a connection
294:
Daniel Love and
Brendan Thoms were men who had failed their migration character tests as a result of serving jail sentences. Neither Love nor Thoms was an Australian citizen, but both identified as Aboriginal Australians. The government was trying to deport both men as aliens under the provisions of
422:
Justice
Gageler said he was opposed to the “judicial creation of any race-based constitutional distinction”, and that such a distinction, if it was to be created, should be created by a referendum. He argued that citizenship and alienage are mutually exclusive, and that it was within the power of
355:
intervened and made submissions in support of both Love and Thoms. It argued that
Aboriginality is equivalent to citizenship, on the basis the unique relationship between members of Aboriginal societies and the land and waters of Australia meant that Aboriginal Australians could not be considered
442:
is limited to native title law and geographically limited, only applying to
Indigenous groups and their specific to particular lands. They concluded that Aboriginal Australians can be aliens, and as the plaintiffs were not citizens, they could be deported.
434:, which was carefully rejected in the Mabo decision. Kiefel CJ and Kean J said that the determination by Aboriginal elders of Aboriginality would prevent parliament from designating such people as aliens, thus creating a sovereignty which was rejected by
677:
595:
344:
The two men were aged in their 30s and 40s at the time of the court case. Both had lived in
Australia since they were small children, and had close family in Australia. Both men were legal
853:
1030:
474:
said that it was too early to tell what the ramifications would be, especially in light of the fact that each of the seven-person bench had given individual reasonings. The
396:
to deal with that question. As Thoms had already been recognised as an
Aboriginal Australian through his native title claim, the Court determined that he was not an alien.
790:
430:
All three dissenting justices found no basis to limit parliament's power to determine alienage. They implied that the majority's decision recognised a competing
492:
said the judgment concerned a "very narrow application of the aliens power" and explicitly stated that it was not a recognition of
Aboriginal sovereignty.
269:
212:
753:
276:. As a result, legislation passed under that power is inapplicable to Aboriginal Australians. In this case, this meant that the power to deport non-
222:
As Thoms is an
Aboriginal Australian and therefore not an alien, the Commonwealth does not have the power to deport him under the provisions of the
1025:
1010:
1000:
464:
315:
311:
919:
1020:
881:
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described the decision as "a very bad thing" that would be "exploited by lawyers", and said he had sought legal advice from the
1005:
712:
531:
536:
489:
456:
345:
243:
231:
On the facts before them, the Court was unable by majority to determine whether or not Love was an
Aboriginal Australian.
934:
891:
352:
423:
parliament to define these and not to be justiciable. Kean J expressed similar concerns about a race based limitation.
823:
478:
said that a number of "complex issues" had been raised, and would give rise to a great deal of debate and scrutiny.
392:
The majority could not, however, determine whether Love was an Aboriginal Australian and remitted the matter to the
393:
219:, to legislate in regard to "aliens" (per Bell, Nettle, Gordon and Edelman; Kiefel, Gageler and Keane dissenting).
128:
1035:
273:
121:
35:
564:"High Court rules Aboriginal people cannot be deported for criminal convictions, cannot be 'alien' to Australia"
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385:
103:
286:
could not be exercised against non-citizen Aboriginal Australians. The case was decided on 11 February 2020.
965:
721:
257:
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208:
46:
915:
471:
431:
261:
204:
596:"High court rules Aboriginal Australians are not 'aliens' under the constitution and cannot be deported"
485:
365:
157:
741:
924:
828:– an analysis of Justice Gageler's and Justice Edelman's approaches to constitutional interpretation"
631:
568:
310:. He had been placed in immigration detention after he was sentenced to more than a year in jail for
416:
296:
282:
224:
854:"Coalition seeks to sidestep high court ruling that Aboriginal non-citizens can't be deported"
791:"Legal experts urge caution on high court ruling that Aboriginal Australians are not 'aliens'"
389:) were not within the reach of the "aliens" power conferred by s 51(xix) of the Constitution.
338:
427:
to land, necessary for native title, could be used in a completely different are of the law.
337:. He was also placed in immigration detention after serving part of an 18-month sentence for
523:
452:
307:
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30:
707:
408:
373:
369:
330:
181:
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920:"High Court decision in Love and Thoms case reflects Aboriginal connection to the land"
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627:"Man released from detention as High Court rules Aboriginal people cannot be deported"
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412:
377:
187:
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383:) found that Aboriginal Australians (understood according to the tripartite test in
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326:
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In the judgment, each judge issued a separate judgment. A majority of the Court (
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882:"'A very bad thing': Peter Dutton slams High Court's Aboriginal 'aliens' ruling"
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481:
334:
277:
265:
746:[2020] HCA 3: The Constitution, Indigenous rights and immigration law"
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499:
665:
886:
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Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
322:, but this was later overturned and he was released from detention.
704:
Love v Commonwealth of Australia; Thoms v Commonwealth of Australia
380:
341:. He remained in detention until the judgment was handed down.
935:"High Court decision defines Aboriginal Australian identity"
356:"aliens" for the purposes of s 51(xix) of the Constitution.
438:("Indigenous people are part of the people of Australia").
742:"Case note: Reflections on the High Court decision in
625:
Byrne, Elizabeth; Robertson, Josh (11 February 2020).
562:
Byrne, Elizabeth; Robertson, Josh (11 February 2020).
237:
196:
143:
138:
113:
90:
75:
52:
42:
23:
852:Karp, Paul; Wahlquist, Calla (12 February 2020).
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557:
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467:that would be "looking to restrict the damage".
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733:
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314:. His permanent residency visa was revoked by
8:
985:. High Court of Australia. 11 February 2020.
1031:Rights in the Australian Constitution cases
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353:Attorney-General for the State of Victoria
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20:
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253:Love v Commonwealth; Thoms v Commonwealth
24:Love v Commonwealth; Thoms v Commonwealth
754:Australasian Legal Information Institute
299:, based on a 2014 amendment of the Act.
817:
815:
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750:Precedent (Australian Lawyers Alliance)
620:
618:
547:
228:(per Bell, Nettle, Gordon and Edelman).
66:Thoms and The Commonwealth of Australia
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587:
312:assault occasioning actual bodily harm
63:Love and The Commonwealth of Australia
939:Constitution Education Fund Australia
789:Wahlquist, Calla (12 February 2020).
7:
302:Love was a recognised member of the
16:2020 case in High Court of Australia
740:Kate Slack; Arron Hartnett (2020).
207:do not fall under the ambit of the
960:Thoms v. Commonwealth of Australia
14:
987:– full hearing and final judgment
981:Thoms v Commonwealth of Australia
956:Love v. Commonwealth of Australia
672:Thoms v Commonwealth of Australia
977:Love v Commonwealth of Australia
880:Young, Evan (13 February 2020).
744:Love v Commonwealth of Australia
668:Love v Commonwealth of Australia
516:
502:
822:Mikaela Smith (17 March 2021).
594:Karp, Paul (11 February 2020).
348:prior to their jail sentences.
1026:Indigenous Australian case law
766:(The authors appeared, led by
532:Australian Aboriginal identity
346:Australian permanent residents
1:
1011:Australian constitutional law
1001:High Court of Australia cases
537:Australian constitutional law
490:University of New South Wales
470:Constitutional law professor
457:Attorney-General of Australia
892:Special Broadcasting Service
930:– analysis of ramifications
329:holder and a member of the
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1021:Australian nationality law
770:SC, for the plaintiffs in
484:lawyer Eddie Synot of the
465:Department of Home Affairs
79:11 February 2020
824:"The divided decision in
242:
209:Commonwealth Parliament's
201:
36:Commonwealth Coat of Arms
28:
1016:Australian migration law
970:– includes all documents
476:Law Council of Australia
386:Mabo v Queensland (No 2)
966:High Court of Australia
830:. Australian Public Law
722:High Court of Australia
258:High Court of Australia
47:High Court of Australia
1006:2020 in Australian law
979:[2020] HCA 3:
432:Aboriginal sovereignty
268:" for the purposes of
262:Aboriginal Australians
205:Aboriginal Australians
674:[2020] HCA 3"
486:Indigenous Law Centre
918:(12 February 2020).
708:[2020] HCA 3
260:case that held that
98:[2020] HCA 3
968:. 11 February 2020.
941:. 14 February 2020.
826:Love v Commonwealth
451:The following day,
417:dissenting opinions
400:Dissenting opinions
724:, 11 February 2020
415:JJ each delivered
297:Migration Act 1958
283:Migration Act 1958
244:Constitutional law
225:Migration Act 1958
339:domestic violence
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248:
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1036:2020 in case law
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453:Christian Porter
333:who was born in
308:Papua New Guinea
306:who was born in
304:Kamilaroi people
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331:Gunggari people
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182:Michelle Gordon
176:Geoffrey Nettle
164:Stephen Gageler
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129:5 December 2019
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947:External links
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756:. Precedent 37
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928:. Australia.
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916:Twomey, Anne
895:. Retrieved
885:
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863:. Retrieved
859:The Guardian
857:
834:29 September
832:. Retrieved
825:
800:. Retrieved
796:The Guardian
794:
771:
768:Stephen Keim
760:29 September
758:. Retrieved
749:
743:
713:
703:
682:. Retrieved
671:
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637:. Retrieved
630:
605:. Retrieved
601:The Guardian
599:
574:. Retrieved
567:
480:
469:
461:Peter Dutton
450:
447:Consequences
439:
436:Mabo (No. 2)
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429:
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327:native title
325:Thoms was a
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320:Peter Dutton
316:Home Affairs
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274:Constitution
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217:Constitution
152:Susan Kiefel
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59:
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18:
897:13 February
865:12 February
802:12 February
639:12 February
635:. Australia
607:12 February
576:11 February
572:. Australia
482:Wamba Wamba
472:Anne Twomey
335:New Zealand
238:Area of law
114:Transcripts
102:(2020) 270
995:Categories
543:References
510:Law portal
290:Background
280:under the
270:section 51
264:were not "
213:section 51
122:8 May 2019
83:2020-02-11
680:(AIATSIS)
318:Minister
91:Citations
925:ABC News
887:SBS News
632:ABC News
569:ABC News
496:See also
360:Decision
278:citizens
186:Justice
180:Justice
174:Justice
168:Justice
162:Justice
156:Justice
684:22 June
488:at the
455:, then
409:Gageler
407:CJ and
378:Edelman
81: (
76:Decided
405:Kiefel
374:Gordon
370:Nettle
266:aliens
718:(PDF)
706:
413:Keane
411:and
256:is a
43:Court
899:2020
867:2020
836:2023
804:2020
772:Love
762:2023
686:2022
641:2020
609:2020
578:2020
440:Mabo
376:and
366:Bell
351:The
295:the
106:152
104:CLR
997::
964:.
958:,
937:.
922:.
890:.
884:.
856:.
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752:.
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598:.
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550:^
419:.
381:JJ
372:,
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85:)
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