Clause 43 of Schedule 1 to the VCAT Act, which provides that proceedings are not invalidated 'only because of a failure to give notice', does not authorise a complete departure from natural justice; where absence of notice results in genuine hardship to a party who is unable to present their case adequately, the proceeding may be invalidated. A telephone call a few hours before a hearing, describing it as a 'meeting' without disclosing it is a final hearing, is insufficient notice. Attorneys under an enduring power of attorney have standing to challenge revocation orders. Where urgency exists, the Tribunal should consider exercising its power under s 123(4) to grant interim injunctions without notice rather than making final orders without adequate notice.
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