VPRS 9714 Register of Decisions upon Charges against Public Servants

Under the Public Service Acts the Public Service Board (VA 886) was vested with disciplinary functions in respect of offences by officers. If the charges were referred to the Board by a Minister or Permanent Head of Department the Board was required to ask the officer to state whether he admitted or denied the truth of a charge. If there was no admission, the Board conducted an inquiry into the charge or appointed a Board of Inquiry to investigate and report. If the truth of the charge was admitted or found by the Public Service Board or Board of Inquiry to be proved, the Public Service Board was able to reprimand the officer, impose a fine, reduce the officer to a lower class, grade or salary, or dismissed the officer or dispense with his or her services.The Public Service Board also had disciplinary powers with respect to officers convicted of criminal offences punishable by imprisonment and officers guilty of any conduct which in the opinion of the Board rendered them unfit to continue in the public service.This series consists of a Register created to record the Public Service Boards (VA 886) decisions upon cases of charges levelled against public servants. It appears that this series only relates to charges which were subject to an inquiry.The information recorded includes: the date of hearing, the charge registration number (recorded in the Register of charges against public servants, VPRS 9712), name of the officer, name of the Department and position held, nature of the charge and the decision upon the case and (in the case of dismissal) the date of notice in the Government Gazette.