The umpire under the National Insurance and the National Assistance Act

Abstract

In this dissertation, it is intended to discuss those sections of the National Insurance and the National Assistance Acts (Act No. VI of 1956 and Act No. VIII of 1956, respectively) which deal with the hearing of appeals under those Acts. The appellate tribunal for the purpose of those Acts is the Umpire. He constitutes an administrative tribunal, hearing appeals from the decisions of the Director of Emigration, Labour and Social Welfare, relating to National Insurance and National Assistance, on any point of law or principle of importance. It is intended to examine the constitution of the Umpire, his functions and powers, the procedure which is followed and the questions of law and principles of importance involved in his decisions. For the sake of completion of this dissertation, a short chapter will be dedicated to the power of the ordinary Courts to review the decisions of the Umpire if a case were to arise before them. The Umpire is a model administrative tribunal and there is a very little really controversial in his constitution. The procedure followed before the Umpire is similar to that followed by other administrative tribunals This tribunal will undoubtedly require much greater importance in view of the fact that the National Insurance and National Assistance Act are vast in scope and of but recent origin.