The Federal Court of Australia on Wednesday adjourned till Thursday the hearing on an appeal by Dr Mohammed Haneef against cancellation of his work visa, after hearing his lawyers argue that the decision to revoke the document was legally flawed.

At the court in Brisbane, lawyers for Haneef said the decision of Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews to cancel the visa due to the doctor’s association with two alleged terrorists was based on “a misconstruction of the word association”.

Appearing for Haneef, barrister Darryl Rangiah argued in the court on Wednesday that Haneef’s relationship with the two men could not be a sufficient basis to cancel his visa. Haneef’s lawyer Peter Russo did not attend the hearing as he is suffering from a stomach infection. Haneef was repre-sented by a team of barristers headed by Stephen Keim.

During the hearing, Justice Spender asked if the mobile phone SIM card allegedly used by Haneef’s second cousins in terrorist activities had actually expired in August 2006.

Barrister Keim questioned the wisdom of Andrews’ decision to revoke Haneef’s visa and have him detained for a trial, to which Justice Spender said he was not interested in the “wisdom” of the decision, only in the legality of it.