Media release – Inaugural Administrative Review Council meeting – 20 February 2025
Administrative Review Council
Chair, Professor Margaret Allars SC
Media release
Inaugural Administrative Review Council meeting
I am pleased to announce that the newly re-established Administrative Review Council (council) held its first meeting in Canberra on Friday 14 February 2025. The reinstatement of this independent advisory body is part of a suite of significant reforms to Australia’s system of administrative review.
The council was first established by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 as a key element of the administrative review system. It performed its role with distinction for almost 40 years. At its first meeting in 1977, the then-Attorney-General described the council as a ‘watchdog for the citizen’ with its purpose ‘to ensure that our system of administrative review is as effective and significant in its protection of the citizen as it can be’.
Effective systems for administrative review are critical in our society, as was highlighted by the Robodebt Royal Commission, protecting the rights and interests of individuals and promoting integrity in government decision-making. The context for the operation of these systems of review has evolved significantly since the council last convened in 2015, with the increasing use of automated decision-making and artificial intelligence. As well, significant institutional reforms have been undertaken, including the recent establishment of the Administrative Review Tribunal.
As a council, we are committed to pursuing the council’s objects, including monitoring the integrity and operation of the Commonwealth administrative law system and the adequacy of current administrative procedures. Our functions also involve inquiring into systemic issues relating to the making of administrative decisions, access to review, and supporting education and training of administrative decision-makers. We are committed to transparency and will report publicly on our activities and key decisions.
Further information about the council’s recent meeting will be made available on the Administrative Review Council website.
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