New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 1 - ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
Chapter 1 - UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE RULES
Subchapter 2 - DEFINITIONS
Section 1:1-2.1 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

"Adjournment" means postponement of the hearing until another time.

"Administrative law judge" means a person appointed pursuant to 52:14F-4 or 52:14F-5(m) and assigned by the Director of the Office of Administrative Law to preside over contested cases and other proceedings.

"Administrative rule" means each agency statement of general applicability and continuing effect that implements or interprets law or policy, or describes the organization, procedure or practice requirements of any agency. The term includes the amendment or repeal of any rule, but does not include: (1) statements concerning the internal management or discipline of any agency; (2) intra-agency and inter-agency statements; and (3) agency decisions and findings in contested cases. 52:14B-2(e).

"Affidavit" means a written statement that is signed and sworn or affirmed to be true in the presence of a notary public or other person authorized to administer an oath or affirmation.

"Agency" includes each of the principal departments in the executive branch of the State government, and all boards, divisions, commissions, agencies, departments, councils, authorities, offices or officers within any such departments now existing or hereafter established and authorized by statute to make, adopt or promulgate rules or adjudicate contested cases, except the office of the Governor. 52:14B-2(a).

"Agency head" means the person or body authorized by law to render final decisions in contested cases, except that in the Department of Education, the State Board of Education is the head of an agency but the Commissioner of Education is authorized by statute to render final decisions.

"Appellant" means the party who is requesting a reversal or modification of a prior result.

"Burden of producing evidence" means the obligation of a party to introduce evidence when necessary to avoid the risk of a contrary decision or peremptory finding on a material issue of fact.

"Burden of proof" means the obligation of a party to meet the requirements of a rule of law that a fact be proved by a preponderance of the evidence or by clear and convincing evidence.

"Clerk" means the Clerk of the Office of Administrative Law or any such scheduling or docketing officer designated by the head of an agency to oversee the administration of contested cases.

"Close of the record" means that time when the record for a case closes and after which no subsequently submitted information may be considered by the judge.

"Complainant" means the party who requests action or relief by filing a complaint.

"Contested case" means an adversary proceeding, including any licensing proceeding, in which the legal rights, duties, obligations, privileges, benefits or other legal relations of specific parties are required by constitutional right or by statute to be determined by an agency by decisions, determinations, or orders, addressed to them or disposing of their interests, after opportunity for an agency hearing. 52:14B-2. The required hearing must be designed to result in an adjudication concerning the rights, duties, obligations, privileges, benefits or other legal relations of specific parties over which there exist disputed questions of fact, law or disposition relating to past, current or proposed activities or interests. Contested cases are not informational nor intended to provide a forum for the expression of public sentiment on proposed agency action or broad policy issues affecting entire industries or large, undefined classes of people.

"Director" means the Director and Chief Administrative Law Judge of the Office of Administrative Law.

"Discovery" means the process by which a party is permitted on demand or upon motion granted by a judge to view, inspect or receive a copy of documents, and gain other information necessary to prepare a case for hearing.

"Docket number" means the number given to a case by the Office of Administrative Law, which contains the abbreviation of the agency that sent the case to the Office of Administrative Law, a sequence number and the year. Sample:

"Evidence" is the means from which inferences may be drawn as a basis of proof in the conduct of contested cases, and includes testimony in the form of opinion and hearsay.

"Filing" means receipt of an original or clear copy of a paper by the proper office or officer.

"Final decision" means a decision by an agency head that adopts, rejects or modifies an initial decision by an administrative law judge, an initial decision by an administrative law judge that becomes a final decision by operation of 52:14B-10 or a decision by an agency head after a hearing conducted in accordance with these rules.

"Finding of fact" means the determination from proof or official notice of the existence of a fact.

"Hearing" means a proceeding conducted by a judge for the purpose of determining disputed issues of fact, law or disposition.

"Initial decision" means the administrative law judge's recommended findings of fact, conclusions of law and disposition, based upon the evidence and arguments presented during the course of the hearing and made a part of the record which is sent to the agency head for a final decision.

"Intervention" means the process by which a non-party may, by motion, obtain all rights and obligations of a party in a case.

"Judge" means an administrative law judge of the State of New Jersey or any other person authorized by law to preside over a hearing in a contested case unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term includes the agency head when presiding over a contested case under 52:14F-8(b).

"Jurisdiction" means the legal power to hear or decide a case.

"Material fact" means a fact legally consequential to a determination of an issue in the case.

"Mediation" means a proceeding conducted after transmission in which an administrative law judge other than the judge assigned to preside over the hearing attempts to settle or compromise a dispute between opposing parties.

"Motion" means an application to a judge for a ruling or order.

"Official court reporter or official transcription firm" means the entity awarded the contract with the State of New Jersey utilized by the Office of Administrative Law for the provision of court reporting or transcription services.

"Participation" means the process by which a non-party may, by motion, be permitted to take limited part in a proceeding.

"Party" means any person or entity directly involved in a case, including a petitioner, appellant, complainant, respondent, intervenor, or State agency proceeding in any such capacity.

"Petitioner" means the party who is requesting relief or action at the hearing.

"Pleadings" means written statements of the parties' respective claims and defenses. A pleading may be a petition, complaint, answer, order to show cause or any other form permitted by an agency's rules.

"Plenary hearing" means a complete and full proceeding conducted before a judge, providing the parties with discovery, the opportunity to present evidence, to give sworn testimony, to cross-examine witnesses and to make arguments.

"Prehearing conference" means a meeting that may be held in advance of the hearing between the judge, representatives of the parties and, sometimes, the parties to discuss and set out the issues to be decided in the case, how the case will be presented and any other special matters required by the judge to be discussed and resolved in advance of the hearing.

"Presumption" means a rebuttable assumption of fact resulting from a rule of law which requires such fact to be assumed from another fact or group of facts found or otherwise established in the contested case.

"Principal of a close corporation" means either a substantial shareholder of a corporation that is not publicly owned or an officer or executive employee who is actively involved in managing the business of such a corporation.

"Proceeding on the papers" means a summary proceeding conducted without any personal appearance or confrontation of the parties before the judge. The hearing is conducted through the submission of pleadings, affidavits, records or documents to the Office of Administrative Law for a decision by an administrative law judge.

"Proof" means all of the evidence before the judge relevant to a fact in issue which tends to prove the existence or nonexistence of such fact.

"Pro se" means a person who acts on his or her own behalf without an attorney or other qualified non-lawyer representative.

"Record" means all decisions and rulings of the judge and all of the testimony, documents and arguments presented before, during and after the hearing and accepted by the judge for consideration in the rendering of a decision.

"Relevant evidence" means evidence having any tendency in reason to prove any material fact.

"Respondent" means the party who answers or responds to a request for relief or action.

"Service" means the delivery (by mail or in person) of a paper to a party or any other person or entity to whom the papers are required to be delivered.

"Settlement" means an agreement between parties which resolves disputed matters and may end all or part of the case. Various methods may be utilized to help parties reach agreement, including: