Also known as: VCAT, NCAT, QCAT, civil and administrative tribunal
In plain English
A less formal, lower-cost forum that resolves many everyday disputes instead of a court.
What it means
A tribunal is a body that resolves certain disputes more cheaply and informally than a court. Each state has a civil and administrative tribunal, such as VCAT (Victoria), NCAT (New South Wales) and QCAT (Queensland), handling matters like tenancy, consumer claims, building disputes and some administrative reviews. Proceedings are designed to be accessible to self-represented people, the rules of evidence are relaxed, and legal representation is sometimes restricted or requires leave.
How it's used
Rather than going to court, the tenant took her bond dispute to the state tribunal, which heard it within weeks.
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