Select one of the topics below to learn more about the birth of the Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal and who is who at the Tribunal.

Before 2002, the Fair Trading Tribunal and the Residential Tribunal operated as separate organisations. On 25 February 2002 they merged to create a new body: The Consumer Trader & Tenancy Tribunal.  The CTTT undertook the roles of the former Residential Tribunal and the former Fair Trading Tribunal.

The CTTT was created by the Consumer, Trader & Tenancy Tribunal Act 2001. This legislation gave the Tribunal the power to hear and determine dispute outcomes about a broad range of issues in NSW. 

The CTTT is an independent decision making body that offers a dispute resolution service. The CTTT first tries to help the parties work out their own solutions to a problem. If this is not possible, the CTTT can resolve the dispute by making orders. Orders are legally binding instructions that must be obeyed.

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Chairperson

The Chairperson is responsible for overseeing the operation of the whole Tribunal.  The Chairperson has the job of directing and monitoring the CTTT and making sure that it delivers a service that is fair, inexpensive, informal and as speedy as possible.

The Chairperson also issues Chairperson's Directions about the practice and procedures of the CTTT.

Deputy Chairpersons

The Deputy Chairperson (Registry and Administration) is responsible for managing the staff and resources of the CTTT.

The Deputy Chairperson (Determinations) is responsible for managing the CTTT’s adjudicative functions and also deals with issues relating to the members of the CTTT.

Senior members and members

The NSW State Governor appoints Tribunal members. A single member usually hears the matters. However, if the matter is unusually complex or has a great deal of public significance, it might be heard by a panel of two or three members. There is no requirement for members to be lawyers, but in practice most of them are legally qualified. The main role of Senior members is to hear the more complicated disputes. Matters that are usually allocated to Senior members include those where above $25,000 is in dispute. 

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