Page 2236 - Week 07 - Thursday, 16 June 1994

MADAM SPEAKER, THE AMENDMENTS BASED ON THOSE

RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OF A MINOR POLICY NATURE AND MOSTLY

TECHNICAL IN NATURE. NEVERTHELESS, THEY WILL ENABLE THE

TRIBUNAL TO OPERATE MORE FLEXIBLY AND WILL ASSIST THE TRIBUNAL

TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE AMENDMENTS TO SECTION 18 OF THE ACT WILL PROVIDE

A CLEARER STATEMENT OF THE PRESIDENT'S ROLE AND FUNCTIONS IN

RELATION TO THE ARRANGEMENT OF BUSINESS OF THE TRIBUNAL AND WILL

PROVIDE THAT THE PRESIDENT MAY GIVE DIRECTIONS AS TO THE

PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED GENERALLY IN PROCEEDINGS IN THE

TRIBUNAL.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER EXAMPLES. AT PRESENT THE TRIBUNAL

CONVENES DIRECTIONS HEARINGS BUT THEY ARE NOT FORMALLY

RECOGNISED IN THE ACT AND THEIR STATUS IS UNCLEAR. THE

AMENDMENTS TO SECTION 32 WILL GIVE FORMAL RECOGNITION TO

DIRECTIONS HEARINGS.

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