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Civil Justice Reform Projects

Administrative Tribunals Appointments and Administration Act

The Administrative Justice Project, the first ever system-wide review of B.C.'s administrative justice system, released a white paper in 2002, On Balance: Guiding Principles for Administrative Justice Reform in British Columbia, that made 54 recommendations to ensure that B.C.'s administrative tribunals provide an effective dispute resolution alternative to the courts. The Administrative Tribunals Appointments and Administration Act, SBC 2003 (Appointments Act) was the first legislative response to those recommendations.

The Appointments Act:

• provides for merit-based, fixed term appointments, to ensure high quality, independent decision-making, and
  
  
• clarifies the responsibilities of tribunal chairs.

For most tribunals, the provisions of the Appointments Act have been replaced by similar provisions in the Administrative Tribunals Act, SBC 2004, Chapter 45 (ATA), which also address administrative tribunal practices, powers and procedures. The Appointments Act still applies to those few tribunals not yet covered by the ATA.