---
title: "Request for a statement of reasons for an administrative decision, with reasons-deficiency table"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/precedents/administrative-and-public-law/request-for-statement-of-reasons"
type: "precedent"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "a31-request-for-statement-of-reasons"
area_id: "A31"
kind: "letter"
ai_level: "yellow"
version: 1
law_stated_as_at: "2026-10-17"
---

# Request for a statement of reasons for an administrative decision, with reasons-deficiency table

> A request for written reasons under the ART Act 2024 (Cth) s 268 or the ADJR Act s 13, with a table for testing the reasons that come back against s 25D and the review grounds.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/precedents/administrative-and-public-law/request-for-statement-of-reasons  
Law stated as at: 2026-10-17

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

- Kind: Letter. A letter or email you adapt and send.
- Practice area: [Administrative & Public Law](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/administrative-and-public-law.md)
- Jurisdictions: Australia, Commonwealth, New Zealand
- AI level: Yellow. AI can help in set ways. A lawyer checks specific points before use.
- Law stated as at: 2026-10-17
- Status: Maintained. Checked on 2026-10-17 against the 6 authorities it cites, for Australia, Commonwealth and New Zealand.

## When to use it

Use promptly after a Commonwealth decision that affects the client and was not accompanied by full reasons, before deciding on merits or judicial review. Do not use where the decision already contains full reasons or the enabling Act sets its own reasons regime, unless you need more detail.

## How AI may be used

AI may fill in the request from the decision notice and build the deficiency table from the reasons received. A lawyer decides which reasons regime applies, whether the request is in time and what any gap means for review.

**AI may:**

- Draft the request from the decision notice, carrying across the decision date, reference and provision for the lawyer to check.
- Build the reasons-deficiency table from the statement received and the enabling provisions the lawyer names, with paragraph references.
- List submissions, evidence or statutory criteria that the reasons do not mention.

**AI must not:**

- Must not decide whether the decision is reviewable or which reasons regime applies.
- Must not describe a gap in the reasons as a reviewable error in advice to the client without lawyer review.
- Must not upload the decision notice or the client's personal information into a tool that retains or trains on inputs.

**The lawyer checks:**

- Which regime applies: ART Act s 268 for a reviewable decision, ADJR Act s 13 (subject to s 13(11) and Schedule 2), or the enabling Act.
- The request is made within 28 days after the decision document was given (ADJR s 13(5)(a); ART Act s 269(8)(a)).
- The 28-day response date and every review deadline are diarised.
- Each row of the deficiency table is checked against the statement itself, not an AI summary of it.

## Authorities

- [Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024 (Cth) ss 4 (definition of statement of reasons), 268, 269](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2024A00040/latest/text)
- [Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 (Cth) s 13 (reasons may be obtained), s 13A](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A01697/latest/text)
- [Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 (Cth) s 5 (grounds of review) and s 11(3) (time for applying)](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A01697/latest/text)
- [Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth) s 25D (content of statements of reasons)](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C1901A00002/latest/text)
- [Administrative Review Tribunal Rules 2024 (Cth) s 5 (period for applying to the Tribunal)](https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2024L01179/latest/text)
- [Official Information Act 1982 (NZ) s 23 (reasons for decisions affecting a person)](https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1982/0156/latest/whole.html)

## Full text and drafting notes

The full text and the drafting notes are not part of this public page. Signed-in firm accounts can read them at https://ailawframework.com/precedents/administrative-and-public-law/request-for-statement-of-reasons and through the signed-in MCP connector https://ailawframework.com/mcp/firm.

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*