Victorian Current Acts Victorian Current Acts(1) For the purposes of this Charter a public authority is—
(a) a public official within the meaning of the Public Administration Act 2004 ; or
Note to s. 4(1)(a) amended by No. 6/2014 s. 14.
Note
A public official under the Public Administration Act 2004 includes employees of the public service, including the Head of a government department or an Administrative Office (such as the Secretary to the Department of Justice or the Chairman of the Environment Protection Authority) and the Victorian Public Sector Commissioner. It also includes the directors and staff of certain public entities, court staff, parliamentary officers and holders of certain statutory or prerogative offices.
(b) an entity established by a statutory provision that has functions of a public nature; or
Notes
1 In section 38 of the Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984 entity is defined to include a person (both a human being and a legal person) and an unincorporated body.
2 See subsection (2) in relation to "functions of a public nature".
(c) an entity whose functions are or include functions of a public nature, when it is exercising those functions on behalf of the State or a public authority (whether under contract or otherwise); or
Example
A non-government school in educating students may be exercising functions of a public nature but as it is not doing so on behalf of the State it is not a public authority for the purposes of this Charter.
Note
See subsections (4) and (5) in relation to "on behalf of the State or a public authority".
(d) Victoria Police; or
S. 4(1)(e) amended by No. 9/2020 s. 390(Sch. 1 item 14).
(e) a Council within the meaning of the Local Government Act 2020 and Councillors and members of Council staff within the meaning of that Act; or
(f) a Minister; or
(g) members of a Parliamentary Committee when the Committee is acting in an administrative capacity; or
(h) an entity declared by the regulations to be a public authority for the purposes of this Charter—
but does not include—
(i) Parliament or a person exercising functions in connection with proceedings in Parliament; or
(j) a court or tribunal except when it is acting in an administrative capacity; or
Note
Committal proceedings and the issuing of warrants by a court or tribunal are examples of when a court or tribunal is acting in an administrative capacity. A court or tribunal also acts in an administrative capacity when, for example, listing cases or adopting practices and procedures.
(k) an entity declared by the regulations not to be a public authority for the purposes of this Charter.
(2) In determining if a function is of a public nature the factors that may be taken into account include—
(a) that the function is conferred on the entity by or under a statutory provision;
Example to s. 4(2)(a) amended by No. 6/2010
s. 203(1)
(Sch. 6 item 5) (as amended by No. 45/2010
s. 22).
Example
The Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983 confers powers of arrest on an authorised officer under that Act.
(b) that the function is connected to or generally identified with functions of government;
Example
Under the Corrections Act 1986 a private company may have the function of providing correctional services (such as managing a prison), which is a function generally identified as being a function of government.
(c) that the function is of a regulatory nature;
(d) that the entity is publicly funded to perform the function;
(e) that the entity that performs the function is a company (within the meaning of the Corporations Act) all of the shares in which are held by or on behalf of the State.
Example
All the shares in the companies responsible for the retail supply of water within Melbourne are held by or on behalf of the State.
(3) To avoid doubt—
(a) the factors listed in subsection (2) are not exhaustive of the factors that may be taken into account in determining if a function is of a public nature; and
(b) the fact that one or more of the factors set out in subsection (2) are present in relation to a function does not necessarily result in the function being of a public nature.
(4) For the purposes of subsection (1)(c), an entity may be acting on behalf of the State or a public authority even if there is no agency relationship between the entity and the State or public authority.
(5) For the purposes of subsection (1)(c), the fact that an entity is publicly funded to perform a function does not necessarily mean that it is exercising that function on behalf of the State or a public authority.