Many years ago now, people in dispute could "go to Court" to determine disputes, and the choice of Court was basically determined by the amount in dispute. How times have changed. Now a number of Commonwealth and State Courts and Tribunals may have jurisdiction over a dispute, and a large number of industry based dispute resolution schemes can also have a role. The latter include the Banking Ombudsman, and the Financial Industry Complaints Service Ltd. Each of these bodies have their own rules of procedure, jurisdictional limits, and powers. Choosing the right tribunal for a dispute is vitally important in obtaining a resolution of the issue as quickly and economically as practicable.

Ian Lulham is a Member of the Executive Committee of the Law Institute's Litigation Lawyers Section.