| AASB |
Australian Accounting Standards Board |
| AAT |
Administrative Appeals Tribunal |
| Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act |
Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 |
| ADR |
Alternative dispute resolution is the umbrella term for a range of processes for resolving a dispute, other than at a hearing. The Tribunal employs five processes: conference, conciliation, mediation, case appraisal and neutral evaluation. |
| Affirm |
If the Tribunal affirms a decision under review, the original decision stands (remains unchanged). |
| Applicant |
The person, organisation, department or agency that has lodged an application with the Tribunal. |
Application for extension
of time |
An application for a review of a decision must be lodged with the Tribunal within a certain time limit. However, in some jurisdictions, an application may be made to the Tribunal to extend the time for lodging an application. |
| Appropriation |
An amount authorised by Parliament to be drawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or Loan Fund for a particular purpose, or the amount so authorised. Appropriations are contained in specific legislation - notably, but not exclusively, the Appropriation Acts. |
| APS |
Australian Public Service |
| APS employee |
A person engaged under the Public Service Act 1999 |
| ASIO |
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation |
| Asylum seeker |
An asylum seeker is a person who is outside their country of origin, has applied for recognition as a refugee in another country and is awaiting a decision on their application. |
| AusTender |
The Australian Government’s procurement information system |
| AustLII |
The Australasian Legal Information Institute publishes a website that provides free internet access to Australasian legal materials, including published AAT decisions. |
| AVS |
Australian Valuation Solutions |
| Bridging visa |
A bridging visa is a temporary visa generally granted to an eligible non-citizen to enable them to remain lawfully in Australia for one of a number of specified reasons, the most common being while they are awaiting the outcome of an application for a substantive visa. |
| Case appraisal |
An alternative dispute resolution process conducted by a Tribunal member or other person, chosen on the basis of their knowledge of the subject matter, who assists the parties to resolve the dispute by providing a non-binding opinion on the facts in dispute and likely outcomes. |
| China |
The People’s Republic of China |
| COAT |
Council of Australasian Tribunals |
| Complementary protection |
Complementary protection refers to circumstances where there are substantial grounds for believing that, as a necessary and foreseeable consequence of being removed from Australia to a receiving country, there is a real risk a person will suffer significant harm. |
| Conciliation |
An alternative dispute resolution process in which a Tribunal member or conference registrar assists the parties to identify the issues in dispute and endeavour to reach an agreement. The conciliator has no determinative role but may advise on or determine the conciliation process, make suggestions on terms of settlement and actively encourage the parties to reach an agreement. |
| Conference |
A meeting conducted by a Tribunal member or conference registrar with the parties and/or their representatives. Conferences provide an opportunity to discuss and define the issues in dispute, identify further evidence that may be gathered, explore whether the matter can be settled and discuss the future conduct of the matter. |
| Confidentiality order |
The Tribunal may make an order directing that a hearing or part of a hearing be held in private. The Tribunal may also give directions prohibiting or restricting the publication or other disclosure of information tending to reveal the identity of a party or witness, evidence given before the Tribunal or matters contained in documents lodged with the Tribunal. |
| CSS |
Commonwealth Superannuation Scheme |
| Directions hearing |
A hearing to deal with procedural matters such as the exchange of statements or documents, to clarify issues relating to the conduct of a hearing or to progress a matter in which there has been delay by a party. Directions hearings are conducted by Tribunal members. |
| Dismissal of application |
The Tribunal may, in certain circumstances, dismiss an application without proceeding to review the decision. An application may be dismissed, for example, if the applicant fails to appear at an ADR process, directions hearing or hearing. |
| FBT |
Fringe Benefits Tax |
| FCA |
Federal Court of Australia |
| FCAFC |
Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia |
| FCCA |
Federal Circuit Court of Australia |
| FOI |
Freedom of information |
| FOI Act |
Freedom of Information Act 1982 |
| FRR |
Public Governance, Performance and Accountability (Financial Reporting)
Rule 2015 |
| GST |
Goods and Services Tax |
| Guide to Refugee Law |
The Guide to Refugee Law in Australia was developed in 1996 as a reference tool for members and staff of the RRT. It contains an analysis of the legal issues relevant to the determination of refugee status in Australia and is regularly updated to reflect developments in the law. |
| HCA |
High Court of Australia |
| Hearing |
The occasion at which the parties may present to the Tribunal evidence and submissions in relation to the decision under review. |
| IAA |
Immigration Assessment Authority |
| Interlocutory application |
Any application made by a party that relates to an application for review of a decision, including any of the following kinds of application: for an extension of time to lodge an application; to stay the operation of the decision under review; or for a confidentiality order. |
| IPS |
Information Publication Scheme |
| Jurisdiction |
The scope of the Tribunal’s power to review decisions |
| Mediation |
An alternative dispute resolution process during which a Tribunal member or conference registrar assists the parties to identify the issues in dispute, develop options, consider alternatives and endeavour to reach an agreement. The mediator has no advisory or determinative role in relation to the content of the dispute but may advise on or determine the mediation process. |
| Migration Act |
Migration Act 1958 |
| MRT |
Migration Review Tribunal |
| NAATI |
National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters |
| NDIS |
National Disability Insurance Scheme |
| Neutral evaluation |
An alternative dispute resolution process in which a Tribunal member or other person, chosen on the basis of their knowledge of the subject matter, assists the parties to resolve the dispute by evaluating the facts and law at issue in the dispute and providing a non-binding opinion on the likely outcomes. |
| Non-ongoing APS employee |
An APS employee engaged for a specific term or the duration of a specified task. |
| Ongoing APS employee |
An APS employee employed on a continuing basis |
| OPA |
Official Public Account |
| Outcome |
In relation to the Portfolio Budget Statements, the results, impacts or consequences of actions by government on the Australian community |
| Party |
A participant in the proceedings before the Tribunal. A party can be the person who makes the application to the Tribunal and in certain divisions, the decision-maker or other respondent to the application and any other person joined to the proceedings. |
| Party joined |
A person, department or agency whose interests are affected by a decision under review may be made a party to some proceeding by order of the Tribunal. This person, department, or agency is a party joined. |
| PGPA Act |
Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 |
| Portfolio Additional |
Estimates Statements Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements inform parliament of changes in resourcing since the Budget, providing information on new measures and their impact on the financial and non-financial planned performance of agencies. |
| Portfolio Budget Statements |
Portfolio Budget Statements explain the Budget appropriations for entities within a portfolio in terms of outcomes and programmes. |
| Programme |
An activity or group of activities that deliever benefits, services or transfer payments to indviduals, industry/business or the community as a whole and are the primary vehicles for government entities to achieve the intended results of their outcome statements. |
| Protection visas |
Protection visas are a class of visas, a criterion for which is that the applicant for the visa is a non-citizen in Australia to whom Australia has protection obligations or is a non-citizen in Australia who is the spouse or a dependant of a non-citizen who holds a protection visa. |
| PSS |
Public Sector Superannuation Scheme |
| PSSap |
Public Sector Superannuation accumulation plan |
Public Governance,
Performance and
Accountability Act |
Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 |
| Public Service Act |
Public Service Act 1999 |
| Registry |
A registry is an office of the AAT |
| Remit |
The Tribunal may remit a matter (send it back) to the original decision-maker to be reconsidered in accordance with any directions or recommendations of the Tribunal. |
| Respondent |
The party who responds to or answers an application in certain divisions, usually the department, agency or organisation that made the original decision. |
| RRT |
Refugee Review Tribunal |
| SES |
Senior Executive Service |
| Set aside |
The Tribunal may set aside a decision under review. The effect is that the Tribunal disagrees with the original decision and may make a new decision or remit the matter (send it back) to the original decision-maker. |
| SSAT |
Social Security Appeals Tribunal |
| Stay order |
An order of the Tribunal to suspend the operation or implementation of the decision under review until the matter is determined or resolved. |
| Tribunal |
Administrative Appeals Tribunal |
| Unauthorised maritime arrivals |
Asylum seekers that arrive in Australia by boat without a visa |
| Vary |
The Tribunal may vary a decision under review. This means that the Tribunal changes or alters the original decision. |
| WHS |
Work health and safety |
| Work Health and Safety Act |
Work Health and Safety Act 2011 |