Service of documents is an important part of any NTCAT proceeding.
NTCAT cannot deal with a proceeding until a Form 1 Initiating Application has been served on the respondent.
The Form 1 Initiating Application will be sealed by NTCAT and returned to the applicant usually with standard orders.
Both the sealed Form 1 Initiating Application and orders must be served on the respondent. An NTCAT proceeding will not continue unless the respondent has been served.
Once a respondent has been served with the Initiating Application it also remains critical that each party is provided with all material relevant to the proceeding by the other party. NTCAT will make orders in a proceeding that make this clear.
Rule 3 of the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal Rules sets out the rules for service in NTCAT proceedings.
NTCAT has also developed Service Guidelines to further assist parties to effectively serve documents in NTCAT proceedings. Following the guidelines is particularly important for ensuring effective service of an Initiating Application.