ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD
A comprehensive phrase that can refer to any
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY but usually means a
public agency that holds hearings.
An administrative board is usually obligated
to represent the public interest; courts, in contrast,
must remain impartial between the two
parties before them. A PAROLE board, for example,
holds informal hearings where prisoners are
allowed to offer evidence of their suitability for
early release from prison. The strict rules
observed in a courtroom do not apply to board
hearings like these, and the board’s decision
must take into account the public’s interest as
well as the prisoner’s rights.
