Administrative law - Tribunals - Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal - Practice and procedure - Powers - Compulsory conference - Notice requiring personal attendance - Non-attendance - Reasonable excuse - Explanation - Claim against solicitor and counterclaim - Solicitor electing to appear at interstate hearing on day appointed for conference - Orders made in favour of claimant - Power to reopen order - Tribunal refusing rehearing application - Status of compulsory conference - "Hearing" - "Proceeding" - Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 1998 (No 53) ss 3 83 84 87 89 100 120

Administrative law — Tribunals — Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal — Claims of sexual harassment and victimisation contrary to Equal Opportunity Act 2010 — Whether subject to Limitation of Actions Act 1958 — Whether the Tribunal a ‘court’ for purposes of Limitation of Actions Act 1958 — Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic), ss 92, 103, 104, 188 — Limitation of Actions Act 1958 (Vic), ss 3, 5

Limitation of actions — Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal — Claim for sexual harassment and victimisation contrary to Equal Opportunity Act 2010 — Events more than six years prior to filing of proceeding in Tribunal — Whether limitation period applicable — Whether the Tribunal a ‘court’ for purposes of Limitation of Actions Act 1958 — Whether claim for contravention of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 an action founded on tort — Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic), ss 92, 103, 104, 188 — Limitation of Actions Act 1958 (Vic), ss 3, 5

Administrative law — Tribunals — Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal — Jurisdiction — Local government — Application to stand down Councillor under s 229 Local Government Act 2020 (Vic) — Whether jurisdictional precondition for application — Local Government Act 2020 (Vic), ss 224, 229

Local government — Councillors — Misconduct — Councillor charged with serious offences — Application to Tribunal stand down Councillor — Jurisdiction of Tribunal — Local Government Act 2020 (Vic), ss 171, 224, 229

Statutory interpretation — Local Government Act 2020 (Vic) — Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal — Jurisdiction of Tribunal — Whether inconsistency between sections of Local Government Act — Whether to depart from literal meaning — Whether obvious drafting error — Whether applying literal meaning of legislation would lead to absurd or unintended result — Whether clear identification of words omitted or to be added to meet identified legislative intent — Local Government Act 2020 (Vic), ss 224, 229

Human Rights — Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities — Participation in public affairs — Presumption of innocence — Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic), ss 18, 25, 32

Administrative law — Tribunals — Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal — Powers — Functions of Principal Registrar of Tribunal — Co-owned property dispute — Tribunal made orders for sale of co-owned property — Orders empowering Principal Registrar to appoint real estate agent or solicitor if parties could not agree — Orders empowering Principal Registrar to execute any necessary document in the sale where party refused — Whether Tribunal had power to make orders — Whether Principal Registrar permitted to exercise functions conferred by such orders — Property Law Act 1958 (Vic), ss 228, 232 — Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 1998 (Vic), s 32