Northern Territory lawyer appointed NTCAT president

Richard Bruxner, a Northern Territory lawyer, has been appointed by Attorney-General John Elferink as the president of the new Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NTCAT) for a period of 12 months.

The 12 month temporary appointment is until a selection process is complete and a permanent president is appointed, explained Elferink. Candidates for president of NTCAT must be a magistrate or eligible to be a magistrate.

The NTCAT is located in Casuarina.

“Mr Bruxner has 24 years’ experience as a lawyer, mainly in the field of litigation. He was at the private bar for 11 years before joining the Solicitor for the Northern Territory’s Chambers in 2008,” he said.

“Mr Bruxner was appointed Crown Counsel in October 2011 and has since been working in the Solicitor General's Chambers.”

The new NTCAT was introduced to cut red tape and provide a single place for civil and administrative appeals, with a focus on ‘fairness’ rather than strict legal interpretations, with an aim to be less intimidating than court-based appeals.