Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT)^[1] was formed by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 1998^[2] in the state of Victoria, Australia. As part of the Victorian Justice system the tribunal sits 'below' the Magistrates Court in the court hierarchy. However the tribunal itself is not a court, not possessing any jurisdiction or powers beyond those conferred by statute.^[3] VCAT is less formal than a court and helps resolve disputes through mediations, compulsory conferences and formal hearings. The participation of lawyers or other legal representatives is not encouraged in some list areas, substantially reducing the cost of litigation. However some of the list areas will by necessity require parties to have some form of representation.

VCAT (pronounced ‘vee-cat’) resolves about 70,000 disputes per year and provides Victorians with a low-cost, accessible and independent dispute resolution service, which is deliberately informal and encourages self-representation. Its orders are enforceable by law once they have been registered with the Magistrates Court. VCAT began operating on 1 July 1998, amalgamating 15 smaller boards and tribunals, creating a 'one-stop-shop' for handling a broad range of disputes. When looking at the sheer number of cases, VCAT deals with the overwhelming majority of legal proceedings in Victoria.^[4]

The VCAT President (currently Edward Woodward), is a Supreme Court Judge, and County Court Judges serve as vice presidents. Applications are heard and determined by deputy presidents (appointed full-time), as well as senior members and ordinary members, who may be appointed on a full-time, part-time or on a sessional basis. Members have a broad range of specialist skills and qualifications, enabling VCAT to hear and determine cases of considerable complexity and varying subject matter. VCAT has jurisdiction to hear and determine disputes under over 200 enabling provisions.