Definition and Characteristics of Statutory Bodies
- A statutory body is a body set up by law to implement legislation.
- They are authorized to set rules and regulations in their field.
- Statutory bodies are typically found in countries with a British style of parliamentary democracy.
- They can be statutory corporations if created as a body corporate.
- Statutory authorities are established at both federal and state/territory levels.
- A statutory authority is a generic term for an authorization by Parliament to exercise specific powers.
- It can be established as a corporate Commonwealth entity or a non-corporate Commonwealth entity.
- A statutory corporation is a statutory body that is a body corporate.
- Statutory authorities at the state/territory level are established under corresponding laws.
- Statutory authorities may have corporate status.
Statutory Bodies in Australia
- Australia has statutory bodies established at federal and state/territory levels.
- Federal statutory authorities are established under the PGPA Act 2013.
- Each statutory authority has its own enabling legislation.
- Laws made by statutory authorities are referred to as regulations.
- All laws made by a statutory authority must be published in the Government Gazette.
- Statutory authorities in Australia include the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, various state bodies for road and traffic safety, public transport authorities in different states, the Australian Taxation Office, and the Australian Securities & Investments Commission.
Rationale for Statutory Bodies
- Statutory authorities are delegated legislative power for efficiency.
- They prevent areas of legislation from becoming partisan issues.
- Statutory authorities have stricter disclosure requirements for transparency.
- They have expressly defined jurisdictions, making accountability more difficult to evade.
- Delegation of authority to statutory authorities allows specialized bodies to use their authority more efficiently.
Delegation of Legislative Power
- Statutory bodies are delegated legislative power to implement legislation.
- They have the authority to set rules and regulations in their field.
- Delegation of authority to statutory authorities allows specialized bodies to use their authority more efficiently.
Examples of Statutory Authorities in Australia
- Consumer affairs authority is delegated to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission.
- Road and traffic safety authority is delegated to various state bodies, such as VicRoads in Victoria.
- Public transport authority is delegated to various state bodies, such as the Public Transport Authority in Western Australia.
- Tax collection authority is delegated to the Australian Taxation Office.
- Corporate law authority is delegated to the Australian Securities & Investments Commission.
Statutory body Data Sources
| Reference | URL |
|---|---|
| Glossary | https://www.alternix.com/blogs/glossary-of-terms/statutory-body |
| Wikipedia | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statutory_body |
| Wikidata | https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7604698 |
| Knowledge Graph | https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/03cl705 |
