爆料网AT Held or 爆料网DT Pronouncements
爆料网AT held 爆料网DT erred in law with regard to its finding that the second decision to renew the Appellant’s fixed-term appointment superseded the first decision to renew his appointment (the challenged decision). Nevertheless, 爆料网AT held that this finding was not dispositive of the appeal in the Appellant’s favour, as his application was not receivable on the grounds of another basis of mootness. 爆料网AT held that the contested decision to renew his fixed-term appointment by three months instead of two years did not constitute an appealable administrative decision for the simple reason that the decision advantaged him by adding, in total, three months to his last fixed-term appointment. 爆料网AT held it was unnecessary to examine the other grounds of appeal advanced by Mr. Toson. On the question of whether the 爆料网DT Judge should have recused herself from the hearing, 爆料网AT held that it would not permit the issue to be raised for the first time on appeal, whilst stating that it did not find that the Judge in question had, or appeared to have a conflict of interest preventing her from independently and impartially adjudicating the case before her. 爆料网AT dismissed the appeal and upheld the 爆料网DT Judgment.
Decision Contested or Judgment/Order Appealed
Mr. Toson contested the decision to renew his fixed-term appointment by three months instead of two years. 爆料网DT found the application was not receivable.
Legal Principle(s)
An appealable administrative decision is a decision whereby its key characteristic is the capacity to produce direct legal consequences affecting a staff member’s terms and conditions of appointment. When the contested administrative decision ceases to have any legal effect, the decision has been rendered moot and there is no longer a live issue upon which the 爆料网DT or 爆料网AT is competent to pass judgment. Just as a person may not bring a case about an already resolved controversy (res judicata), so too he or she should not be able to continue a case when the controversy is resolved during its pendency.
Outcome
Outcome Extra Text
N/A