Adjudication Panel

When a complaint about an advertisement is received, it is sent on to the Chief Adjudicator of The ABAC Scheme. Currently, the Chief Adjudicator is Professor the Hon Michael Lavarch. (Reports of the Chief Adjudicator are presented in each Annual Report.)

Currently there are five Panel members. A minimum of three Panel members can adjudicate on a particular complaint. One of these three will always be a Panel member with a professional background related to public health, nominated by the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy.

No member of the Panel may, at the time of or during the term of his or her apointment to the Panel (a) be a current employee of member of the alcohol beverages industry; or (b) have been an employee or member of that industry during the period of five (5) years prior to the date of his or her appointment.

The ten steps in the Adjudication Process are described in the 2005 Annual Report. The Chief Adjudicator is assisted in adminstering the complaints process by an ABAC Administrator.