Serial S839 - South Australian Industrial Reports

An Industrial Court was established in 1912 and was later incorporated in the system of tribunals created by the Industrial Code of 1920. The Industrial Court usually had a President and a Deputy President, each of whom was appointed from legal practitioners of ten years’ standing. Normally the Court was constituted by one of these officers, but certain matters were traditionally determined by a full court comprising both officers. When a dispute was under consideration, the President or Deputy President may have been assisted by two assessors nominated by the parties before the Court. The function of the Court was to make awards concerning wages and conditions of employment for workers who were outside the jurisdiction of industrial boards. It had authority to adjudicate in cases of strikes or lockouts and may have summoned persons to a compulsory conference and hear appeals from determinations of industrial boards. In making an award the Court may have appointed or provided for a board of reference to deal with matters covered by the award, with a right of appeal to the Court against a decision of the board. The arbitral functions of the Industrial Court of South Australia were assumed by the Industrial Commission of South Australia following amendments to that state's Industrial Code in 1966, however, the Court continued to operate in a purely legal capacity after this date.