Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) was formed by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 1998 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 as it is a creature of statute and has no inherent jurisdiction or powers. VCAT was primarily a forum for litigants-in-person and 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 or representation.

VCAT (pronounced ‘vee-cat’) resolves about 90,000 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. The Tribunal 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, the VCAT deals with the overwhelming majority of legal proceedings in this State [1].

The President of VCAT, (currently Gregory Garde AO RFD), 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. The VCAT has jurisdiction to hear and determine disputes under over 200 enabling provisions.

VCAT has four divisions: Civil, Administrative, Residential Tenancies and Human Rights. Within these divisions, the various types of matters are allocated to what are referred to as 'Lists'. (For example, Residential Tenancy matters are heard in the Residential Tenancies List.) The Civil Division has a Civil Claims List, Owners Corporations List and Building & Property List. The Administrative Division has a Planning & Environment List, Legal Practice List and Review & Regulation List. The Residential Tenancies Division has a Residential Tenancies List. The Human Rights Division has a Human Rights List and Guardianship List.

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