FOURTH ANNUAL AIJA TRIBUNALS CONFERENCE

Back
FOURTH ANNUAL AIJA TRIBUNALS CONFERENCE Friday 8 June 2001 Millennium Hotel Sydney, Cnr Darlinghurst & Kings Cross Roads (top of William Street)

To access Conference papers: Please click on link to speaker's name

(ISSN 1448-0824)

TRIBUNALS - THEY NEED TO BE DIFFERENT

The AIJA is pleased to present the fourth of its annual conferences. The theme "Tribunals- they Need to be Different" is set by the keynote address. Whilst tribunals, as adjudicative bodies, adopt many of the practices and procedures of courts, tribunals are established to ensure, as far as is possible, that matters before them are dealt with quickly, efficiently and at minimum cost to the parties. Whilst the courts provide guidance for tribunals in the adjudicative process, there is a need to constantly analyse tribunal practices and procedures and to modify them to meet the particular needs and objectives of tribunals.

BACKGROUND

Since the third AIJA Tribunals Conference, the AIJA Council has formalized the Institute's Tribunals Committee, which consists of:

The Hon Justice Murray Kellam, President, Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Convenor);
Mr Keith Chapman, President, Guardianship and Administration Board, Western Australia
Ms Anne Coghlan, Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal;
Mr Barry Cotterell, Office of Fair Trading, Queensland;
Mr Stephen Forbes, Fair Trading and Residential Tribunals, New South Wales;
Mr Peter Molony, Fair Trading Tribunal, New South Wales;
Mr Paul Skinner, Principal Tenancy Adjudicator, Department for Courts, New Zealand;
Ms Helen Wood, Magistrate and Chair Anti-Discrimination Tribunal, Tasmania.

The Committee has been consulted in relation to the fourth AIJA Tribunals Conference and thanks are due to its members for their guidance and thought in respect of the programme and the conference generally.

PROGRAMME

8.30 am REGISTRATION

9.00 am WELCOME AND OPENING

The Hon. Justice Murray Kellam, President of the Australian Institute of Judicial Administration and President of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

9.05 am SESSION ONE - KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Chair: Mr Keith Chapman, President Guardianship and Administration Board, Western Australia.

"TRIBUNALS - THEY NEED TO BE DIFFERENT". Presenter: Mr Nick O'Neill, President, Guardianship Tribunal, New South Wales. (Powerpoint presentation)

Commentator: Mrs Anne Coghlan, Deputy President, Anti-Discrimination List, Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Discussion

10.30 am Morning Tea

11.00 am SESSION TWO

Chair: Ms Anne Wallace, Deputy Executive Director, Australian Institute of Judicial Administration.

"PRINCIPLES OF CONDUCT FOR MEMBERS OF MERIT REVIEW TRIBUNALS". Presenter: Mr Matt Mingogue, Executive Officer, Administrative Review Council, Canberra.(Powerpoint presentation)

Commentator: The Hon Justice Murray Kellam.

WORKSHOPS FOR MEMBERS OF TRIBUNALS ENGAGED IN NON-MERITS REVIEW.
Convenors: Professor Greg Reinhardt, Executive Director, Australian Institute of Judicial Administration and Mr Paul Skinner, Principal Tenancy Adjudicator, Department for Courts, New Zealand.

12.15 pm SESSION THREE

Chair: Ms Helen Wood, Chairperson, Anti-Discrimination Tribunal, Tasmania.

COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES FOR TRIBUNALS: A PERFORMANCE CHECKLIST
Presenter: Ms Julie McCrossin, ABC Radio National, former Training and Information Officer, New South Wales Guardianship Board.

1.00 pm Lunch

2.00 pm SESSION FOUR

Chair: Mr Peter Molony, Senior Member, Fair Trading Tribunal, New South Wales.

LITIGANTS IN PERSON PLANS
Presenter: Ms Giulia Inga, Principal Courts Administrator, Compensation Court and Dust Diseases Tribunal, New South Wales.(Powerpoint presentation)

Following Ms Inga's presentation there will be workshops to discuss the implementation of a Litigants in Person Plan.

3.15 pm Afternoon Tea

3.45 pm SESSION FIVE

Chair: Mr Barry Cotterell, Project Director, Office of Fair Trading, Queensland.

DISQUALIFICATION ON THE GROUNDS OF BIAS - SOME CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS"
Presenter: Professor Greg Reinhardt.

4.15 pm SESSION SIX

Chair: Ms Anne Wallace.

EXAMINATION OF THE APPLICATION OF THE RULES OF EVIDENCE IN PROCEEDINGS IN QUASI-JUDICIAL TRIBUNALS
Presenters: Mr John Blackwood, Senior Lecturer in Law, The University of Tasmania and President, Guardianship and Administration Board, Tasmania and Ms Terese Henning, Senior Lecturer in Law, The University of Tasmania.

4.45 pm Coffee/Tea Break

5.00 pm SESSION SEVEN

Chair: Mr Stephen Forbes, Fair Trading and Residential Tribunals, New South Wales.

RETHINKING TRIBUNALS JUSTICE: WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY
Presenter: Mr Ong Chin Heng, Referee, Small Claims Tribunals, Subordinate Courts, Singapore.(Powerpoint presentation)

5.30 pm CLOSE