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This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.


CORPORATIONS (ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS) BILL 2001

                         Western Australia


Corporations (Administrative Actions) Bill 2001

                            CONTENTS

 1.    Short title                                            1
 2.    Commencement                                           2
 3.    Definitions                                            2
 4.    Application and operation of Act                       4
 5.    Legal effect of invalid administrative actions         4
 6.    Rights and liabilities declared in certain cases       4
 7.    Registration or incorporation of companies             5
 8.    This Act to apply to administrative actions as
       purportedly in force from time to time                 6
 9.    Corresponding authorities or officers                  6
 10.   Act not to give rise to liability against the State    7




                                                             page i
                               16--1
                           Western Australia


                      LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL



Corporations (Administrative Actions) Bill 2001


                               A Bill for


An Act relating to administrative actions taken by Commonwealth
authorities or officers of the Commonwealth under certain State laws
relating to corporations.



The Parliament of Western Australia enacts as follows:


1.      Short title
        This Act may be cited as the Corporations (Administrative
        Actions) Act 2001.




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     Corporations (Administrative Actions) Bill 2001



     s. 2




     2.       Commencement
              This Act comes into operation immediately before the
              Corporations Act 2001 of the Commonwealth, as originally
              enacted, comes into operation.

5    3.       Definitions
              In this Act --
              "administrative action" means an act or omission of an
                  administrative or legislative nature, and includes any act or
                  omission of an administrative nature that is done or omitted
10                in the course of or ancillary to or preliminary to or
                  subsequent to judicial proceedings (civil or criminal);
              "commencement time" means the time when this Act comes
                  into operation under section 2;
              "Commonwealth authority" means an authority or body
15                (whether incorporated or not) that is established or
                  continued in existence by or under an Act of the
                  Commonwealth, but does not include the Federal Court of
                  Australia, the Family Court of Australia or the Federal
                  Magistrates Court;
20            "confer" includes impose;
              "invalid administrative action" means an administrative
                  action of a Commonwealth authority or an officer of the
                  Commonwealth taken, or purportedly taken, at or before
                  the commencement time --
25                (a) pursuant to a function or power conferred, or
                         purportedly conferred, by or under a relevant State
                         Act (the "relevant function or power"); and
                  (b) in circumstances where the relevant function or
                         power could not have been conferred on the authority
30                       or officer by a law of the Commonwealth the
                         operation of which in the relevant respect was based
                         on the legislative powers of the Parliament of the

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                       Corporations (Administrative Actions) Bill 2001



                                                                   s. 3



                Commonwealth (including, for example,
                circumstances where the authority or officer was, or
                purportedly was, under an express or implied duty to
                perform the function or exercise the power),
5         that was invalid because of the circumstances referred to in
          paragraphs (a) and (b), whether or not it was also invalid on
          any other ground;
     "liability" includes a duty or obligation;
     "officer of the Commonwealth" has the same meaning as in
10        section 75(v) of the Constitution of the Commonwealth;
     "relevant function or power" means a function or power
          referred to in paragraph (a) of the definition of "invalid
          administrative action";
     "relevant State Act" means --
15        (a) the Corporations (Western Australia) Act 1990; or
          (b) the Corporations (Application of Laws) Act 1981; or
          (c) the Companies (Acquisition of Shares) (Application
                of Laws) Act 1981; or
          (d) the Securities Industry (Application of Laws)
20              Act 1981; or
          (e) the Futures Industry (Application of Laws) Act 1986;
                or
           (f) the Companies and Securities (Interpretation and
                Miscellaneous Provisions) (Application of Laws)
25              Act 1981,
          and includes any law applying as a law of the State by
          force of any such Act;
     "right" includes an interest or status.




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     Corporations (Administrative Actions) Bill 2001



     s. 4



     4.         Application and operation of Act
          (1)   This Act binds the Crown in right of Western Australia and, in
                so far as the legislative power of Western Australia permits, in
                all its other capacities.
5         (2)   This Act has effect despite any provision of the Corporations
                (Western Australia) Act 1990 or of the applicable provisions (as
                defined in that Act) of the State.
          (3)   Subject to subsection (4), this Act extends to rights or liabilities
                arising between parties to proceedings initiated at or before the
10              commencement time where an allegedly invalid administrative
                action is or was the subject of or relevant to the proceedings.
          (4)   This Act does not affect rights or liabilities arising between
                parties to proceedings heard and finally determined at or before
                the commencement time to the extent to which those rights or
15              liabilities arise from, or are affected by, an invalid
                administrative action.

     5.         Legal effect of invalid administrative actions
                Every invalid administrative action has, and is deemed always
                to have had, the same force and effect for all purposes as it
20              would have had if --
                  (a) it had been taken, or purportedly taken, by a State
                        authority or officer of the State; and
                  (b) the relevant function or power had been duly conferred
                        on that authority or officer.

25   6.         Rights and liabilities declared in certain cases
          (1)   Without affecting the generality of section 5, the rights and
                liabilities of all persons are, by force of this Act, declared to be,
                and always to have been, for all purposes the same as if --
                   (a) every invalid administrative action had been taken, or
30                       purportedly taken, by a State authority or officer of the
                         State; and

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                                  Corporations (Administrative Actions) Bill 2001



                                                                               s. 7



                 (b)   the relevant function or power had been duly conferred
                       on that authority or officer.
          (2)   A right or liability conferred or affected by subsection (1) --
                 (a) is exercisable or enforceable; and
5                (b) is to be regarded as always having been exercisable or
                        enforceable,
                as if it were a right or liability conferred or affected by (or
                arising from) an administrative action of a State authority or
                officer of the State on which or whom the relevant function or
10              power had been duly conferred.
          (3)   Any act or thing done or omitted to be done at or before the
                commencement time under or in relation to a right or liability
                conferred or affected by subsection (1) --
                  (a) has the same effect, and gives rise to the same
15                     consequences, for the purposes of any written or other
                       law; and
                  (b) is to be regarded as always having had the same effect,
                       and given rise to the same consequences, for the
                       purposes of any written or other law,
20              as if it were done, or omitted to be done, to give effect to, or
                under the authority of, or in reliance on, an administrative action
                of a State authority or officer of the State on which or whom the
                relevant function or power had been duly conferred.

     7.         Registration or incorporation of companies
25              Without affecting the generality of sections 5 and 6, it is
                declared that those sections extend to the registration or
                incorporation, or purported registration or incorporation, of
                companies by, or consequent on administrative action taken or
                purportedly taken by, Commonwealth authorities or officers of
30              the Commonwealth at or before the commencement time.



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     Corporations (Administrative Actions) Bill 2001



     s. 8



     8.         This Act to apply to administrative actions as purportedly in
                force from time to time
          (1)   The purpose of this section is to ensure that this Act operates to
                give to an invalid administrative action that has subsequently
5               been affected by another action or process no greater effect than
                it would have had if the administrative action, or any other
                relevant administrative action, had not been invalid on
                constitutional grounds (arising from the circumstances referred
                to in paragraphs (a) and (b) of the definition of "invalid
10              administrative action" in section 3).
          (2)   If administrative action taken by a Commonwealth authority or
                an officer of the Commonwealth was affected (whether by way
                of revocation, modification or otherwise) at or before the
                commencement time by any later administrative action or by
15              any judicial process or by any administrative review process,
                this Act applies to the administrative action as so affected from
                time to time.
          (3)   In this section, a reference to administrative action taken
                includes a reference to administrative action purportedly taken,
20              and a reference to administrative action affected in any way
                includes a reference to administrative action purportedly
                affected in that way.

     9.         Corresponding authorities or officers
                It is immaterial, for the purposes of this Act, that a
25              Commonwealth authority or an officer of the Commonwealth
                does not have a counterpart in the State, or that the functions
                and powers of a counterpart State authority or a counterpart
                officer of the State do not correspond exactly or substantially
                with those of the Commonwealth authority or the officer of the
30              Commonwealth.




     page 6
                                     Corporations (Administrative Actions) Bill 2001



                                                                               s. 10



     10.         Act not to give rise to liability against the State
           (1)   The State is not liable to any action, liability, claim or demand
                 arising from the enactment, commencement or operation of this
                 Act.
5          (2)   Without limiting subsection (1), no proceedings lie against the
                 State in respect of an administrative action affected by this Act,
                 except to the extent that the proceedings would lie had this Act
                 not been enacted.
           (3)   In this section --
10               "proceedings" includes proceedings for an order in the nature
                     of prohibition, certiorari or mandamus or for a declaration
                     or injunction or for any other relief;
                 "the State" includes any State authority or officer of the State,
                     and also includes --
15                   (a) the Crown in right of the State; and
                     (b) the Government of the State; and
                     (c) a Minister of the Crown in right of the State; and
                     (d) a statutory corporation, or other body, representing
                           the Crown in right of the State.




 


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