Stakeholder feedback

06 October 2023

During a public consultation which concluded earlier this year, the Attorney-General’s Department (AGD) received feedback from stakeholders about how the practice and jurisdiction of the South Australian Employment Tribunal (SAET) could be improved to better meet its statutory objectives.

The Attorney-General has advised me that overall, SAET is effectively carrying out its function as South Australia’s “one stop shop” for employment and industrial relations disputes.  SAET continues to provide high quality dispute resolution in a timely and efficient way.  With over 6000 applications lodged last financial year, the Tribunal deals with a complex caseload while maintaining dispute resolution timeframes significantly faster than other civil jurisdictions.

Many stakeholders identified SAET as a best-practice model for a specialist industrial tribunal and a preferred jurisdiction for the conduct of industrial proceedings within its jurisdiction. SAET’s practical and high-quality alternative dispute resolution processes were highly commended.

SAET’s vision is to be a leading employment tribunal, which promotes the best principles of decision-making and resolves disputes fairly, efficiently and transparently. One of SAET ‘s strategic objectives is to be a modern, innovative tribunal with straightforward processes and contemporary systems. 

Feedback received during the AGD consultation included suggested changes to certain SAET processes and procedures to promote consistency, flexibility and efficiency.  Concerns were also raised about the usability of SAET’s forms.

I will now consult with SAET’s stakeholder groups to get feedback about proposed changes to the Rules, Practice Directions and forms.  Also, I anticipate conducting a confidential survey of SAET’s litigants to obtain additional feedback.

The Honourable Justice Steven Dolphin

President