Definition

Noun: An official appointed by a government agency to conduct an investigation or administrative hearing. This role allows the agency to gather information and make decisions based on its legal authority.

Usage

A hearing examiner presides over formal proceedings within a government agency. They are responsible for ensuring a fair process, hearing evidence, and often making initial findings or recommendations to the agency.

Examples

• The hearing examiner listened to testimony from both sides before issuing a preliminary ruling.
• After reviewing the case file, the hearing examiner scheduled an administrative hearing for next month.
• The decision of the hearing examiner can be appealed to the full commission.

Advanced Usage

• Role in Due Process: The hearing examiner serves a critical function in providing due process within administrative law, acting as a neutral fact-finder.
• Quasi-judicial Capacity: While not a judge in a court of law, a hearing examiner often performs similar duties in an administrative setting, such as ruling on procedural matters and evaluating evidence.

Variants and Related Words

• Administrative Law Judge (ALJ): A more formal title for a hearing examiner in many U.S. federal and state agencies. An ALJ has the authority to issue binding decisions.
• Hearing Officer: A synonymous term often used interchangeably with hearing examiner.

Synonyms

• Adjudicator: A person who makes a formal judgment on a disputed matter.
• Referee: An official who presides over a process to ensure fairness and rule application.

Noun

1. an official appointed by a government agency to conduct an investigation or administrative hearing so that the agency can exercise its statutory powers