State Administrative Tribunal of Western Australia

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The State Administrative Tribunal of Western Australia has a vision to be one of Australia and New Zealand’s leading tribunals that adopts best practice, innovative technology and low costs for parties in making fair and timely decisions for the benefit of the people of Western Australia.

The objectives of the Tribunal set out in section 9 of the State Administrative Tribunal Act 2004 (WA) are:

• To achieve the resolution of questions, complaints or disputes, and make or review decisions, fairly and according to the substantial merits of the case; • To act as speedily and with as little formality and technicality as is practicable, and minimise the costs to parties; and • To make appropriate use of the knowledge and experience of tribunal members.

The Tribunal: • aims to make the correct and preferable decision based on the merits of each application; • is not a court and strict rules of evidence do not apply; • encourages the resolution of disputes through mediation; • allows parties to be represented by a lawyer or a person with relevant experience, or by themselves; • holds hearings in public in most cases; and • gives reasons for all decisions and publishes written reasons for decisions on its web-site.

The Tribunal is established under the following legislation: • State Administrative Tribunal Act 2004 (SAT Act) • State Administrative Tribunal Regulations 2004 • State Administrative Tribunal Rules 2004

Core Values are:

• Respect for the law • Fairness • Independence • Respect for persons • Diligence and efficiency • Integrity • Accountability and transparency • Proportionality

The Tribunal: • aims to make the correct and preferable decision based on the merits of each application; • is not a court and strict rules of evidence do not apply; • encourages the resolution of disputes through mediation; • allows parties to be represented by a lawyer or a person with relevant experience, or by themselves; • holds hearings in public in most cases; and • provides reasons for all decisions and publishes written reasons for decisions on its website.

Individuals, businesses, public officials and vocational regulatory boards can bring before the Tribunal many different types of applications relating to civil, commercial and personal matters. These can range from reviews of multi-million dollar tax assessments to dog destruction orders, disciplinary proceedings, guardianship and administration questions, or planning and land compensation issues. Jurisdiction is currently conferred through 140 enabling Acts and over 830 enabling Provisions. Given its broad jurisdiction, Tribunal matters are divided into four streams enabling procedures to be adapted to suit the type of matter and the needs of different people who use the Tribunal.

The Tribunal is led by His Honour Justice Michael Barker and is supported by a member complement of 16 full time members and over 100 sessional members. The 65 staff of the Tribunal are led by the Executive Officer, Mr Alexander Watt.