This thesis applies arguments for greater diversity, and more specifically, racial diversity, on the judiciary to administrative tribunals with an adjudicative function. I draw from both formal arguments, such as institutional legitimacy, and substantive arguments, such as the different perspectives that diversity would provide, to propose an integrative conception of diversity. By relying upon concepts such as structural impartiality, I argue that an integrative conception of diversity more fully reveals the transformative potential of diversity in legal decision-making. This integrative conception is particularly well-suited to the administrative context because it demonstrates how diversity will enhance the values of participation and justification, which are instrumental to the principle of fairness. Through interviews with adjudicators and legal clinic lawyers, I offer a preliminary view of the potential impact that diverse administrative adjudicators could have in practice. Finally, this thesis offers recommendations on how this potential could be further realized.

This thesis applies arguments for greater diversity, and more specifically, racial diversity, on the judiciary to administrative tribunals with an adjudicative function. I draw from both formal arguments, such as institutional legitimacy, and substantive arguments, such as the different perspectives that diversity would provide, to propose an integrative conception of diversity. By relying upon concepts such as structural impartiality, I argue that an integrative conception of diversity more fully reveals the transformative potential of diversity in legal decision-making. This integrative conception is particularly well-suited to the administrative context because it demonstrates how diversity will enhance the values of participation and justification, which are instrumental to the principle of fairness. Through interviews with adjudicators and legal clinic lawyers, I offer a preliminary view of the potential impact that diverse administrative adjudicators could have in practice. Finally, this thesis offers recommendations on how this potential could be further realized.

Some form of administrative review of executive action is accepted in the common law world for the reason that it serves certain basic values and goals. This study draws on political, legal and management theory in considering the values that underlie administrative review. It is primarily concerned with the role of tribunal review. A full range of values are considered, including fairness, justice, consistency, rationality, dignity, respect, accessibility, equity, efficiency and economy. Some are seen as fundamental to the administrative review system while others have different purposes. There is general agreement on many of the values and goals of administrative review. In their practical application however, values compete, overlap and evolve in accordance with economic, social, political and legal change. There are value tensions in, for instance, the role of independent tribunals as a check on the power of the executive while they are also within the executive, in the extent of the obligation on administrative tribunals to apply government policy and in the setting of proper limits of judicial review. There is continuing tension in demands for individual dignity and rights to fair treatment on the one hand and notions of the 'public interest' on the other. This thesis argues that the provision of tribunal review of administrative decisions is increasingly ideologically driven and focussed on 'functional' or 'management' values. At times these have trumped other values in decisions about entitlements to procedural fairness, access to review, effectiveness in public administration and the achievement of the 'correct and preferable' decision in the instant case. The focus of this thesis is a case study of migration decision-making. The importance of this area of study is evident in the potentially devastating consequences that migration decisions can have for individuals and families. In the context of Australia's history of inadequate and racially based migration policies, independent administrative review provides security against arbitrariness and discrimination in decision-making. An analysis of administrative review of decisions made under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) by the Migration Review Tribunal, and its predecessor the Immigration Review Tribunal, illustrates the claim that values, in their application, have real, practical and local importance. Issues of tribunal independence and accountability, the normative goal of review and procedural justice are considered in depth. It is argued that where compromises are made in administrative review, underlying values should be revealed so that their practical consequences may be better understood. The need to articulate and analyze these issues has never been greater. The Australian administrative review system is in a period of change analogous to that of the introduction of the 'new' administrative law in the 1970s. If tribunals are to continue to play an effective role then it is important to think clearly about how they can, in practice, embody the right mix of administrative law values.

This thesis examines the impact of individual employment protection legislation on the employment relationship in the hotel and catering industry (HeI), exactly the type of industry whose workers the employment law was intended to protect. It begins \\-ith a review of the potential effects of employment legislation on the employment relationship. It then analyses and evaluates the practical effects of individual employment legislation in hotels and catering from relevant case law. and the workings of the Industrial Tribunal system, identifying that unfair dismissal is the most important aspect. In order to ask to what extent dismissal law constrains the managerial prerogative, in the light of recent socio-economic and legal changes, employer experience of, and attitudes to existing employment rights and the Industrial Tribunal system are assessed. This is achieved by means of a postal questionnaire to employers in the industry. This is then augmented by follow-up semi-structured interviews with the employers. The legislation was found to have more effect on employer behaviour than is apparent prima facie. The ways in which many employers seek to circumvent the provisions of the law provides evidence of this. The high rate of dismissal in the industry shows, however, that employers are not constrained from using dismissal. Rather, the manner of making dismissals is more formalised due to the threat of tribunal actions. The actual incidence of dismissal could well be far higher since it appeared that some employers did not regard the termination of employment of an employee without the service qualitication as a dismissal. Tribunal actions themselves are quite uncommon, given the high incidence of dismissal. The low success rate for employers at tribunals, and the acknowledgement by employers that procedural requirements were often not met during disciplinary matters, suggests that arbitrary management practice is still widespread.

Some form of administrative review of executive action is accepted in the common law world for the reason that it serves certain basic values and goals. This study draws on political, legal and management theory in considering the values that underlie administrative review. It is primarily concerned with the role of tribunal review. A full range of values are considered, including fairness, justice, consistency, rationality, dignity, respect, accessibility, equity, efficiency and economy. Some are seen as fundamental to the administrative review system while others have different purposes. There is general agreement on many of the values and goals of administrative review. In their practical application however, values compete, overlap and evolve in accordance with economic, social, political and legal change. There are value tensions in, for instance, the role of independent tribunals as a check on the power of the executive while they are also within the executive, in the extent of the obligation on administrative tribunals to apply government policy and in the setting of proper limits of judicial review. There is continuing tension in demands for individual dignity and rights to fair treatment on the one hand and notions of the 'public interest' on the other. This thesis argues that the provision of tribunal review of administrative decisions is increasingly ideologically driven and focussed on 'functional' or 'management' values. At times these have trumped other values in decisions about entitlements to procedural fairness, access to review, effectiveness in public administration and the achievement of the 'correct and preferable' decision in the instant case. The focus of this thesis is a case study of migration decision-making. The importance of this area of study is evident in the potentially devastating consequences that migration decisions can have for individuals and families. In the context of Australia's history of inadequate and racially based migration policies, independent administrative review provides security against arbitrariness and discrimination in decision-making. An analysis of administrative review of decisions made under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) by the Migration Review Tribunal, and its predecessor the Immigration Review Tribunal, illustrates the claim that values, in their application, have real, practical and local importance. Issues of tribunal independence and accountability, the normative goal of review and procedural justice are considered in depth. It is argued that where compromises are made in administrative review, underlying values should be revealed so that their practical consequences may be better understood. The need to articulate and analyze these issues has never been greater. The Australian administrative review system is in a period of change analogous to that of the introduction of the 'new' administrative law in the 1970s. If tribunals are to continue to play an effective role then it is important to think clearly about how they can, in practice, embody the right mix of administrative law values.

The thesis deals with the regulation of individual labour disputes settlement provided for in the law systems of the EU member states. The law systems chosen for comparison are the ones of the Czech Republic, England and France. In the first chapter there is an outline of the obligations resulting from the international and European legislation in the area of labour disputes settlement. In the following three chapters the Czech, English and French regulations are described subsequently. The individual regulations of the above mentioned countries are analyzed with reference to the institutions endowed with authority to settle individual labour disputes, the participation of lay members in the process of decision making, the proceedings at the courts of first instance as well as the proceedings at the higher courts and last but not least with reference to the means of alternative dispute settlement. In the second chapter dedicated to the Czech regulation the historical context is also mentioned. In the final part of the thesis the results of the analysis are compared and suggestions for the future Czech regulation of labour disputes settlement are offered.

The last decade has seen numerous proposals to reform existing tribunal systems in jurisdictions throughout the common law world. Across the board, there have been proposals to adopt generalist tribunal models in preference to smaller, specialist tribunal systems, and to achieve these changes through the process of amalgamation. The most significant recent developments to occur in Australia have taken place in Victoria and NSW during the past five years. Legislators in these States have chosen to amalgamate a number of smaller, specialist tribunals into larger, generalist bodies. In 1997 the NSW Parliament passed legislation amalgamating a number of specialist tribunals to create the Administrative Decisions Tribunal (ADT); comparable legislation was passed in Victoria in 1998 to create the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). There were concurrent attempts to implement similar reforms at federal level. In 1998 the Commonwealth government announced its intention to amalgamate four Commonwealth merits review tribunals to form one �super Tribunal� � the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). The Bills containing these proposals were ultimately defeated in the Senate, however the Australian Government remains convinced of the benefits of amalgamation at federal level. Similar reforms have been proposed in Western Australia, Tasmania and the United Kingdom. This thesis argues that these reforms are taking place in the absence of data about their likely implications, and without a thorough understanding of the objectives that generalist versus specialist tribunal systems can realistically achieve. This ill-considered or �over-hasty� trend towards amalgamation raises a number of questions which have not previously been addressed in academic or policy-making circles. An obvious question is whether or not an amalgamated tribunal model is more effective than a series of smaller, specialised tribunals in delivering administrative justice, in other words, whether there is any net gain to be had from a government�s decision to amalgamate. The less explored, but equally important, question addressed in this thesis is how the process of amalgamation should be approached in order to realise the maximum potential benefits that an amalgamated tribunal can bring. That is, to ask what are the ingredients of an optimal amalgamation. This is not a question about whether government decisions to pursue amalgamation are intrinsically worthwhile or beneficial for stakeholders. Rather, it is about how government decisions to amalgamate should best be implemented. This thesis proposes a way of differentiating between good and bad amalgamations, that is grounded in theory and informed by experience to date. The proposed approach is to assess the effectiveness of amalgamation processes using relevant measures drawn from an analysis of organisational theory literature: � Legislation � the legislation establishing an amalgamated tribunal needs to ensure the tribunal will have appropriate independence, powers, processes, membership and structure. � Political commitment � those responsible for proposing and planning an amalgamation need to provide appropriate funding and support for the process and for the establishment of an autonomous, self-directed tribunal. � Organisational structure � the structures put in place need to be appropriate, integrated and flexible, and should promote cohesion and interaction. � Process and procedure � the processes and procedures adopted in an amalgamated tribunal need to capitalise upon the opportunities provided by amalgamation, as well as being appropriate, efficient and able to balance the needs of a range of stakeholders. � Organisational culture � an organisational culture which counters natural tendencies towards disjunction will assist members and staff to identify with a newly amalgamated tribunal and to implement initiatives that will improve its performance. � Leadership � effective leadership plays an important role in ensuring a smooth transition from specialist to amalgamated tribunal, and engendering commitment from members and staff. Broadly speaking, these factors fall into the four categories of law, context, organisation and people. It is argued that attention must be paid to all four of these ingredients in order to achieve optimal tribunal reform. The thesis tests this proposition by examining the three most advanced tribunal amalgamations so far, namely, the Commonwealth ART, the NSW ADT and VCAT in Victoria. It is argued that the fate of the Commonwealth ART proposal proves the importance of a solid, generally endorsed legislative foundation in creating a viable amalgamated tribunal. The importance of context, organisation and people is borne out by qualitative research into the amalgamation experiences in NSW and Victoria. The fact that the NSW and Victorian governments decided to pursue policies of amalgamation at the same time provided a unique opportunity to compare the success or otherwise of two concurrent attempts at amalgamation in different jurisdictions. This thesis finds that the unfavourable political context in NSW prevented the ADT from realising its potential. In contrast, the VCAT experience highlights the benefits of paying careful attention to the wide range of factors that can contribute to a successful amalgamation. Of most relevance are the initial scale of an amalgamation, the political �will� behind its implementation, the appointment of a core of full-time members, and the creation of an open institutional culture which facilitates the sharing of information. In short, the thesis concludes that the successful construction and consolidation of a tribunal post-amalgamation requires that the necessary ingredients of optimal tribunal reform � legislation, context, organisation and people � are thoughtfully addressed.

The last decade has seen numerous proposals to reform existing tribunal systems in jurisdictions throughout the common law world. Across the board, there have been proposals to adopt generalist tribunal models in preference to smaller, specialist tribunal systems, and to achieve these changes through the process of amalgamation. The most significant recent developments to occur in Australia have taken place in Victoria and NSW during the past five years. Legislators in these States have chosen to amalgamate a number of smaller, specialist tribunals into larger, generalist bodies. In 1997 the NSW Parliament passed legislation amalgamating a number of specialist tribunals to create the Administrative Decisions Tribunal (ADT); comparable legislation was passed in Victoria in 1998 to create the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). There were concurrent attempts to implement similar reforms at federal level. In 1998 the Commonwealth government announced its intention to amalgamate four Commonwealth merits review tribunals to form one �super Tribunal� � the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). The Bills containing these proposals were ultimately defeated in the Senate, however the Australian Government remains convinced of the benefits of amalgamation at federal level. Similar reforms have been proposed in Western Australia, Tasmania and the United Kingdom. This thesis argues that these reforms are taking place in the absence of data about their likely implications, and without a thorough understanding of the objectives that generalist versus specialist tribunal systems can realistically achieve. This ill-considered or �over-hasty� trend towards amalgamation raises a number of questions which have not previously been addressed in academic or policy-making circles. An obvious question is whether or not an amalgamated tribunal model is more effective than a series of smaller, specialised tribunals in delivering administrative justice, in other words, whether there is any net gain to be had from a government�s decision to amalgamate. The less explored, but equally important, question addressed in this thesis is how the process of amalgamation should be approached in order to realise the maximum potential benefits that an amalgamated tribunal can bring. That is, to ask what are the ingredients of an optimal amalgamation. This is not a question about whether government decisions to pursue amalgamation are intrinsically worthwhile or beneficial for stakeholders. Rather, it is about how government decisions to amalgamate should best be implemented. This thesis proposes a way of differentiating between good and bad amalgamations, that is grounded in theory and informed by experience to date. The proposed approach is to assess the effectiveness of amalgamation processes using relevant measures drawn from an analysis of organisational theory literature: � Legislation � the legislation establishing an amalgamated tribunal needs to ensure the tribunal will have appropriate independence, powers, processes, membership and structure. � Political commitment � those responsible for proposing and planning an amalgamation need to provide appropriate funding and support for the process and for the establishment of an autonomous, self-directed tribunal. � Organisational structure � the structures put in place need to be appropriate, integrated and flexible, and should promote cohesion and interaction. � Process and procedure � the processes and procedures adopted in an amalgamated tribunal need to capitalise upon the opportunities provided by amalgamation, as well as being appropriate, efficient and able to balance the needs of a range of stakeholders. � Organisational culture � an organisational culture which counters natural tendencies towards disjunction will assist members and staff to identify with a newly amalgamated tribunal and to implement initiatives that will improve its performance. � Leadership � effective leadership plays an important role in ensuring a smooth transition from specialist to amalgamated tribunal, and engendering commitment from members and staff. Broadly speaking, these factors fall into the four categories of law, context, organisation and people. It is argued that attention must be paid to all four of these ingredients in order to achieve optimal tribunal reform. The thesis tests this proposition by examining the three most advanced tribunal amalgamations so far, namely, the Commonwealth ART, the NSW ADT and VCAT in Victoria. It is argued that the fate of the Commonwealth ART proposal proves the importance of a solid, generally endorsed legislative foundation in creating a viable amalgamated tribunal. The importance of context, organisation and people is borne out by qualitative research into the amalgamation experiences in NSW and Victoria. The fact that the NSW and Victorian governments decided to pursue policies of amalgamation at the same time provided a unique opportunity to compare the success or otherwise of two concurrent attempts at amalgamation in different jurisdictions. This thesis finds that the unfavourable political context in NSW prevented the ADT from realising its potential. In contrast, the VCAT experience highlights the benefits of paying careful attention to the wide range of factors that can contribute to a successful amalgamation. Of most relevance are the initial scale of an amalgamation, the political �will� behind its implementation, the appointment of a core of full-time members, and the creation of an open institutional culture which facilitates the sharing of information. In short, the thesis concludes that the successful construction and consolidation of a tribunal post-amalgamation requires that the necessary ingredients of optimal tribunal reform � legislation, context, organisation and people � are thoughtfully addressed.

This thesis explores the rules of treaty interpretation as they are applied by foreign investment arbitral tribunals ("FIATs"). Its primary aims are: a) to determine whether FIAT treaty interpretation practice is generally consistent with other international courts and tribunals; b) to assess whether the treaty interpretation rules contained in the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties ("Vienna Convention") are suitable for application in investor-State treaty disputes; and c) to evaluate the contribution of FIAT treaty interpretation jurisprudence to international law. The body of the thesis provides a background to treaty interpretation rules in international law and then examines in detail the application of the rules of interpretation contained in the Vienna Convention by both international courts and tribunals and FIATs. It also explores modes of interpretation that have been deployed by these two groups which are not explicitly referenced in the Vienna Convention. Investigation is also made of some unique or notable aspects of FIAT jurisprudence that relates to treaty interpretation. The research was carried out primarily through the analysis of international court and tribunal decisions and FIAT awards. The principal findings of the thesis are that: a) a general congruence exists between the interpretative practice of FIATs and that of other international courts and tribunals; b) the application of the Vienna Convention rules on treaty interpretation are suitable for investment treaty arbitration, with some exceptions, e. g., in situations where investors have vastly disproportionate access to the preparatory work of treaties as compared with respondent States; and c) FIATs have made a significant contribution to the international law of treaty interpretation.

This thesis proposes that conscious and increased co-operation and coordination of the relationship between investment tribunals and domestic courts can greatly improve the efficacy of the international investment arbitration system, and further the rule of law. The extent of the power both forums wield, the level of influence both systems have on each other and the critical roles both systems play in the resolution of investment disputes warrant a systematic approach to cooperation and coordination. This study finds justification for this proposition by analyzing the policy implications of investment arbitration outcomes. It goes on to explore the relationship between domestic courts and investment tribunals by examining the roles they play and the areas of jurisdictional friction between the two systems. The core issues addressed include the jurisdiction and competence of international investment tribunals and domestic courts in the resolution of investment disputes; the support roles of domestic courts; anti-suit/anti-arbitration injunctions; pre-conditions to arbitration; the effects and implications of the review of investment tribunals’ decisions by domestic courts, and the review of the lawfulness of the conduct of domestic judicial systems by investment arbitration tribunals. In addressing these issues, the work examines the extent to which domestic courts and international arbitration tribunals should accord deference to each other with respect to their involvement in the resolution of investment disputes. Based on the analysis of the areas of intersection between the domestic and international investment dispute settlement systems, instances of ‘positive interactions’ are highlighted and encouraged. The study also proposes ways in which further cooperation and coordination can take place. In making these proposals, and acknowledging the differences that exist, this thesis considers the collaboration between other international adjudicatory bodies and domestic courts so as to distill lessons for the international investment arbitration system.