Elise Archer,Attorney-General and Minister for Justice
The Tasmanian Government is committed to improving access to justice for all Tasmanians and today I was pleased that the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Bill 2020 was passed in the House of Assembly.
The legislation will formally establish the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TasCAT), allowing co-located tribunals to amalgamate and commence operations towards a single tribunal in early 2021.
This important reform has been discussed by governments over many years, but we are getting on with making it happen.
Last month, Tasmania became one step closer to establishing a single Civil and Administrative Tribunal with the official opening of the facility at 38 Barrack Street in Hobart.
As Attorney–General and Minister for Justice, I am pleased to have prioritised this significant reform and I am confident that TasCAT will deliver a more client-centric focus, particularly for our protective jurisdictions with nine Tasmanian tribunals co-locating at the new facility.
We have continued to work closely with existing tribunals and their stakeholders to ensure they are fully consulted throughout the planning and transition phase.
Along with the co-location of the initial Tribunals, this legislation is the first step in the establishment of TasCAT, a significant reform that will streamline assistance to promote alternative dispute resolution and provide greater consistency in decision making, while enabling seamless service delivery to a diverse range of clients.
Once the Bill has been considered by the Legislative Council, the next step will be to commence the appointment of the President of TasCAT.
