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.