Meeting of ARC 31 March 2025 – Statement of meeting outcomes

Administrative Review Council

Publication date

8 May 2025

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Meeting of Administrative Review Council – 31 March 2025

The Council noted responses received from the Attorney-General, Minister for Social Services and the Secretary, Department of Social Services in relation to the Notice of Systemic Issue No. 1 of 2024 (published on the Administrative Review Tribunal’s website). The Council decided not to commence an inquiry into the systemic issue.
The Council will explore options for engaging with the broad issue of implementation of administrative review decisions, which underlies the systemic issue notice.

The Council considered a request from the Attorney-General dated 4 March 2025 to inquire into transitional and consequential provisions enacted with the establishment of the Administrative Review Tribunal, relating to migration and asylum matters, and social security. The request referred to Recommendations 2 and 3 of the final report of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee inquiry into the Administrative Review Tribunal Bills 2023, dated 13 May 2024, that these matters be the subject of inquiry by the Council when it was re-established.
The Council was not in a position at this stage to make a decision in response to the request relating to migration and asylum matters. The Council determined to undertake further work before deciding whether or not to commence an inquiry, and resolved to monitor and consider the scope of these matters in order to be better informed in making a decision in the future on whether to inquire, and, if so, the scope of such an inquiry. The Council reached a similar view in response to the request relating to social security matters, resolving to undertake further work, monitor and consider the scope of these matters, in order to be better informed in making a decision in the future on whether to inquire, and the scope of such an inquiry.

The Council agreed on a Conflict of Interest Procedure and is in the process of finalising a procedure for responding to systemic issue reports. The Council will publish both procedures.

The Council settled a communications and engagement strategy to inform effective communication with stakeholders.
The Council agreed to steps to promote its online presence and access to information about the Council’s operation and activities.