Page 3890 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 29 October 2013
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The industrial court will have jurisdiction, though, to hear and decide a proceeding in relation to bail for an adult charged with an industrial or work safety offence and a proceeding in relation to a breach of a sentence imposed by the Magistrates Court for an industrial or work safety offence. There is also flexibility in the legislation to expand the jurisdiction by allowing other acts to expressly confer further jurisdiction on the industrial court.
I might just conclude by again thanking key stakeholders for the support they have given in the establishment of this new industrial court and for their valuable insights and suggestions made to improve the operation of the new court. The government will be watching the development of the new court closely. We are conscious of the concerns raised by some members of the magistracy and also from other legal stakeholders about management and workload in the new court.
I would again simply reiterate that there is no new business being brought to the Magistrates Court by these arrangements. Instead, there is a focus being given and a dedicated magistrate being allocated to hear those matters. Nevertheless, the government will watch closely the operation of the new court and consider further whether any resourcing questions arise.
I believe that over time the new court will prove its worth as a specialist court building up its own industrial case law and procedures around industrial civil claims and criminal matters. The court will be able to draw on its specialisation and promote greater consistency in decision making and the application of penalties by the court delivering certainty and fairness for all litigants.
The establishment of an ACT industrial court is all about improving the work safety culture in our territory and providing a dedicated focus to administer justice for alleged breaches of the law when it comes to the most serious matter of workplace safety. The establishment of this court is further demonstration of this Labor government’s commitment to improving the health and safety of all ACT workers. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
Statute Law Amendment Bill 2013 (No 2)
Debate resumed from 19 September 2013, on motion by Mr Corbell:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MR HANSON (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (10.41): The main elements of this bill, the Statute Law Amendment Bill 2013 (No 2), do what they are supposed to
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