ACCI raises alarm over new court despite promises of faster workplace dispute resolution
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has raised concerns that the federal government's proposed Fair Work Court could increase costs and complexity for employers, despite the Albanese government's assurances the new body will speed up workplace dispute resolution.
The Albanese Labor Government announced last week that it will create a new Fair Work Court to provide simpler, fairer, and faster justice for working Australians.
The government cited the need for a new court, saying the current system can be costly, complex to navigate, and slow to respond to the needs of modern workplaces, with some workers and small businesses spending more than two years fighting for a resolution, sometimes on cases that cost more to run than the original claim is worth.
ACCI chief executive officer Andrew McKellar said business has yet to see the full detail of the proposal, but he warned of potential drawbacks.
"Business is concerned today's announcement will lead to higher costs and complexity, especially given there is no evidence that existing courts lack the expertise or jurisdiction required to deal with industrial relations matters," McKellar said.
The CEO pointed to several benefits of retaining industrial relations matters within the existing Federal Court system, warning that a specialist industrial court risks isolating legal doctrine from...
Executive Summary What’s new: The Seventh Circuit affirmed dismissal of an outsider’s qui tam action under the False Claims Act, outlining a potential path to dismissal where a relator lacks ins...