Administrative Appeals Tribunal (Social Services Act) Regulations

Administered by Attorney-General's Department

Legislation au F1997B01674 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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Administrative Appeals Tribunal (Social Services Act) Regulations

Statutory Rules 1980 No. 62 as amended

made under the

Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975

This compilation was prepared on 26 March 2003
taking into account amendments up to SR 1980 No. 335

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting,
Attorney-General’s Department, Canberra

Contents

 1 Citation [see Note 1] 

 2 Commencement 

 3 Amendment of Schedule to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975

Notes  

 

 

 

1 Citation [see Note 1]

  These Regulations may be cited as the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (Social Services Act) Regulations.

2 Commencement

  These Regulations shall come into operation on 1 April 1980.

3 Amendment of Schedule to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975

  The Schedule to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 is amended by inserting after Part XXIV the following Part:

Part XXIVA Social Services Act

‘24A (1) Where the Director-General of Social Services has, on or after 9 September 1980, in pursuance of section 14 or 15 of the Social Services Act 1947, made a decision affirming, varying or annulling a determination, direction, decision or approval of an officer under that Act, being a determination, direction, decision or approval that has been reviewed by a Social Security Appeals Tribunal, an application may be made to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a review of the decision of the Director-General.

 (2) Where:

 (a) the Director-General of Social Services has, on or after 9 September 1980, in pursuance of section 14 or 15 of the Social Services Act 1947, made a decision affirming, varying or annulling a determination, direction, decision or approval of an officer under that Act, being a determination, direction, decision or approval that has not been reviewed by a Social Security Appeals Tribunal; and

 (b) the decision of the Director-General is one in respect of which the Director-General has, at the request of a person, certified in writing that an important principle of general application is involved with respect to entitlement to, or assessment of, a pension, allowance, endowment or benefit under that Act,

an application may be made to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a review of the decision of the Director-General.

 (3) Where, immediately before the date of commencement of this subclause, a person was entitled to make an application to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a review of a decision by the Director-General of Social Services, then, subject to anything otherwise contained in this Act, that person may, on or after that date, apply to the Tribunal for a review of that decision.

 (4) The operation of subsection 29 (2) in relation to an application under subclause (1) for a review of a decision made by the Director-General before the date of commencement of this subclause is modified so that the prescribed time for the purposes of paragraph 29 (1) (d) is:

 (a) the period that, but for this subclause, would be the prescribed time in relation to that application; or

 (b) the period commencing on the day on which the decision is made and ending on the twenty-eighth day after the date of commencement of this subclause,

whichever is the greater.

 (5) The operation of subsection 29 (2) in relation to an application under subclause (2) for a review of a decision is modified so that the prescribed time for the purposes of paragraph 29 (1) (d) is the period commencing on the day on which the decision is made and ending on the twenty-eighth day after:

 (a) if the decision sets out the findings on material questions of fact and the reasons for the decision — the day (in this subclause referred to as the certificate day) on which the certificate of the Director-General is furnished to the applicant; or

 (b) if the decision does not set out those findings and reasons:

 (i) if a statement in writing setting out those findings and reasons is furnished to the applicant otherwise than in pursuance of a request under subsection 28 (1) not later than the twenty-eighth day after the certificate day — the day on which the statement is furnished to the applicant or the certificate day, whichever is the later;

 (ii) if the applicant, in accordance with subsection 28 (1), requests the person who made the decision to furnish a statement as mentioned in that subsection — the day on which the statement is furnished or the applicant is notified that the statement will not be furnished, as the case may be, or the certificate day, whichever is the later; or

 (iii) in any other case — the certificate day.’.

Notes to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (Social Services Act) Regulations

Note 1

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (Social Services Act) Regulations (in force under the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975) as shown in this compilation comprise Statutory Rules 1980 No. 62 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Statutory Rules

Year and
number

Date of notification
in Gazette

Date of
commencement

Application, saving or
transitional provisions

1980 No. 62

26 Mar 1980

1 Apr 1980

 

1980 No. 335

27 Nov 1980

27 Nov 1980

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

R. 3.................

am. 1980 No. 335

 

 

Overview

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (Social Services Act) Regulations, enacted in 1980, were introduced to address the need for an additional layer of review for decisions made under the Social Services Act 1947, ensuring that individuals have a fair and effective means of challenging administrative decisions related to social services. These regulations were made under the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 by the Australian Government and aim to provide a mechanism for the review of certain decisions made by the Director-General of Social Services, thereby enhancing accountability and providing a safeguard for individuals affected by these decisions. The policy objective behind these regulations is to ensure that there is a comprehensive and accessible process for reviewing decisions that could significantly impact a person's entitlement to social services benefits, pensions, allowances, endowments, or other related benefits.

Scope and Application

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (Social Services Act) Regulations, which are part of the Statutory Rules 1980 No. 62 as amended, establish the framework for the review of decisions made by the Director-General of Social Services under the Social Services Act 1947. These regulations, made under the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975, are intended to provide a mechanism for applicants to seek a review of decisions that have been affirmed, varied, or annulled by the Director-General, particularly those that have been reviewed by a Social Security Appeals Tribunal or involve important principles of general application concerning entitlements or assessments related to pensions, allowances, endowments, or benefits. The regulations came into effect on 1 April 1980, with subsequent amendments taking effect from 27 November 1980. The scope of the regulations extends to enabling individuals who were entitled to make an application for review prior to the commencement of these regulations to continue to do so post-commencement, subject to any other provisions of the Act.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (Social Services Act) Regulations (Statutory Rules 1980 No. 62 as amended) concern the review of decisions made by the Director-General of Social Services under the Social Services Act 1947. Specifically, Section 24A(1) allows for an application to be made to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) for a review of a decision made by the Director-General, provided that the decision has been reviewed by a Social Security Appeals Tribunal. Section 24A(2) extends this right to review to decisions that have not been reviewed by the Social Security Appeals Tribunal, but where an important principle of general application is involved with respect to entitlement to, or assessment of, a pension, allowance, endowment or benefit. Section 24A(3) ensures that any person who was entitled to make an application to the AAT before the Regulations came into force may still apply for a review on or after that date. The Regulations also modify the prescribed time for lodging an application for review (Section 24A(4) and (5)). These Regulations impose obligations on several parties. For the Director-General of Social Services, the primary obligation is to ensure that any decisions made under the Social Services Act 1947 can be reviewed by the AAT under the specified conditions. For applicants, the Regulations require them to make their applications within the prescribed time limits, which vary depending on whether the decision has been reviewed by the Social Security Appeals Tribunal and whether the decision sets out specific findings and reasons. The AAT itself must process these applications according to the time frames and conditions set out in the Regulations. Breach of the conditions or time limits set out in these Regulations may lead to consequences. For example, if an applicant fails to lodge their application within the prescribed time, their application may be dismissed. Section 29(2) of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 provides that the AAT may refuse to review a decision if the application is lodged outside the prescribed time. Furthermore, any failure to comply with the specific conditions regarding the furnishing of findings and reasons by the Director-General could potentially lead to the decision being reviewed on different timelines, as outlined in Section 24A(5). While the Regulations do not explicitly state penalties for breaches, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 may provide for civil or criminal consequences for non-compliance, which could include fines or other penalties as prescribed by law.

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