Today, I tentatively finalised my Outline of Submissions to be filed next week. It looks OK. So I sent it to my Partner's former next door neighbour in the Law School. His next door neighbour was an Associate Professor when I was a PhD student and subsequently went to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. He heard a lot of cases like mine there and now is back at the Bar. So I asked him to accept my pro bono brief. I hope he will pick up.
While I was looking for someone who will stand up in court for me, I was being looked for by some protection visa applicant. He came to this country on a student visa and after four years, applied for a protection visa. He seems to have been a drug addict and lost the place to live as a result. When the Tribunal sent a letter to his former address inviting him to attend a hearing, he was homeless. He asked me whether there is any way to go back to the Tribunal after he missed the hearing date a long time ago. Oh dear.... Should I help him???
I was asked to check the G-book of another protection visa applicant a couple of days ago. A G-book is a bundle of immigration papers which the Immigration prepares and submits to the Tribunal for review. The same bundle is called a Courtbook in court for the first instance and an Appeal Book on appeal. This protection visa applicant is a refugee unlike the other one. So I passed his case on to a refugee advocate who can make sure that he will get out soon.
You may be thinking that it is impossible to 'make sure to get out' for a refugee in detention. Well, this person is a refugee but not like a refugee whom you would imagine. He is very well equipped. He speaks English very well as well as several other languages, has some education, had big money with which he supported himself for the last five years without work rights on bridging visa E and still have assets in his own country where he cannot access. He won in the Tribunal twice by himself. The immigration does not like him. So he is here.
Anyway, I have to concentrate on my own thing. I have to have my hair cut this week. A hairdresser comes only Monday to Wednesday. I cannot miss a free hairdo before going back home.