Practice Direction No. 3

NTCAT Practice Direction No. 3

Electronic Case Files

1. This practice direction is made under section 139 of the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act (NT) and may be referred to as NTCAT Practice Direction No. 3.
   
   Electronic Case Files
2. On and from 1 November 2021, any process relating to a proceeding, evidentiary material (including video, photographs, images), transcripts of evidence taken by the tribunal in a proceeding, any decisions or orders given or made by the Tribunal in a proceeding, and any other material that forms part of the tribunal’s records in relation to a proceeding, will be kept and maintained as an electronic record only (hereafter called ‘the electronic case file’).
3. Physical or hard copies of materials (including data storage devices such as flash drives/memory sticks) that are given to the tribunal (in accordance with paragraph 5 of this Practice Direction) prior to or during a proceeding will be copied/scanned and stored electronically in the electronic case file. Unless the party that has given the materials to the tribunal requests their immediate return, those materials will be destroyed immediately after they are stored electronically in the electronic case file.
4. Documents such as agreements that are signed by the parties in a proceeding in a compulsory conference, will be copied/scanned and electronically stored in the electronic case file. The original documents will be destroyed immediately after they are stored electronically in the electronic case file.
5. Data storage devices such as flash drives/memory sticks will not be accepted unless there is prior approval obtained from the tribunal. Electronic transmission of large volumes of material must be undertaken by the use of the Northern Territory Government File Transfer Protocol or as otherwise directed by the Tribunal.
   
   Business Continuity
6. Where the electronic case file is unable to be accessed by a member of the tribunal or the tribunal registry for the conduct of a compulsory conference, hearing or other proceeding, which may include because of a failure of the electronic case management system that stores the electronic case file, the tribunal may adjourn the proceeding to a date to be fixed.

DATED:  28 October 2021

Mark O’Reilly

Acting President