Australia: Submission to Inquiry into Administrative Review Tribunal Bills 2023

This is a UNHCR submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs. It expresses UNHCR's position regarding the Administrative Review Tribunal Bill 2023 (ART Bill) and the Administrative Review Tribunal (Consequential and Transitional Provisions No. 1) Bill 2023 (Consequential and Transitional Bill). 

UNHCR commended the government's concerted efforts to reform the federal system of administrative review to strengthen decision-making in protection and migration cases and welcomed the introduction of this legislation, along with the proposed abolition of the fast-track review process. However, UNHCR had significant concerns about the bifurcated system whereby applicants seeking review of migration and protection decisions are afforded diminished procedural standards.