Yesterday, the Administrative Review Tribunal Bill 2024 passed both Houses. This means that it will soon be out with the old Administrative Appeals Tribunal (“AAT”) and in with the new Administrative Review Tribunal (“ART”).
When the AAT commenced in 1976 it was heralded as ushering in the “current” era of administrative review, making it easier for everyday Australians to seek reviews of government decisions that can significantly affect their lives. However, the AAT is almost 50 years old, and the vicissitudes of time and the weight of institutional inertia have not been kind, leaving some to label it “irreversible damaged”.
Will the ART improve things? Amongst other things it is intended to improve case finalisation delays, ensure greater transparency in government decision-making and safeguard the review body’s makeup from politicisation. But, as always, the key will be in the implementation.
For further details on the ART, please see our article here. If you have any questions on administrative law, please contact our Public and Administrative Law team.
