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Associations Act 2003
109Oppressive or unreasonable acts
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109 Oppressive or unreasonable acts
(1) An application to NTCAT, the Local Court or the Supreme Court for
a particular order or orders specified in subsection (2) may be made
by a member of an incorporated association or former member
expelled from the association (provided the application is made
within 6 months after the expulsion) who believes that:
(a) the affairs of the association are being conducted in a way that
is oppressive or unfairly prejudicial to, or unfairly
discriminatory against, a member (the oppressed member)
or in a way that is contrary to the interests of the members as
a whole; or
(b) an act or omission, or a proposed act or omission, by or on
behalf of the association was or would be oppressive or
unfairly prejudicial to, or unfairly discriminatory against, a
member (also the oppressed member) or was or would be
contrary to the interests of the members as a whole; or
(c) the constitution of the association contains provisions that are
oppressive or unreasonable; or
(d) the expulsion of the member was oppressive or unreasonable.
(2) For subsection (1), the orders are as follows:
(a) an order that the association be wound up;
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(b) an order regulating the future conduct of the association's
affairs;
(c) an order directing the association to institute, prosecute,
defend or discontinue specified proceedings, or authorising a
member of the association to institute, prosecute, defend or
discontinue specified proceedings in the name and on behalf
(d) an order appointing a receiver or a receiver and manager of
the property of the incorporated association;
(e) an order restraining a person from engaging in specified
conduct or from doing a specified act;
(f) an order requiring a person to do a specified act;
(g) an order altering the constitution of the association;
(h) an order that the member expelled be reinstated as a member
(i) an order consequential on or ancillary to an order mentioned
in paragraphs (a) to (h).
(3) Subject to subsections (4) and (5), NTCAT, the Local Court or the
Supreme Court may make the orders it considers appropriate if, on
the hearing of the application, it is satisfied in relation to a matter
specified in subsection (1).
(4) The Supreme Court must not make an order for the winding up of
the association if it is satisfied the winding up of the association
would unfairly prejudice the oppressed member.
(5) NTCAT and the Local Court may only make an order referred to in
subsection (2)(b), (c), (e), (f), (g), (h) or (i).
(6) If an order that the association be wound up is made, the provisions
of this Act relating to the winding up of an association apply, with
the necessary modifications for this Act, as if the order had been
made on an application filed in the Supreme Court by the
(7) If an order makes an alteration to the constitution of the association,
then, despite any other provision of this Act but subject to the order,
the association does not have power, without the leave of NTCAT,
the Local Court or the Supreme Court, to make a further alteration
to the constitution inconsistent with the order but, subject to this
section, the alteration made by the order has effect as if it had been
properly made by resolution of the association.
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(8) A copy of an order must be filed by the applicant with the Director
within 14 days after it is made.
(9) For this section, a breach of the constitution of an incorporated
association by the committee of the association may be regarded
as constituting action that is oppressive to members of the
(10) The Director may intervene in proceedings before NTCAT, the
Local Court or the Supreme Court arising under this section.
(11) If the Director intervenes in proceedings, the Director becomes a
party to the proceedings and has all the rights, including rights of
appeal, of a party to the proceedings.