s.1 — Interpretation

1 (1) In this Act, “electronic hearing” means a hearing held by conference telephone or some other form of electronic technology allowing persons to hear one another; (“audience électronique”) “hearing” means a hearing in any proceeding; (“audience”) “licence” includes any permit, certificate, approval, registration or similar form of permission required by law; (“autorisation”) “municipality” has the same meaning as in the Municipal Affairs Act; (“municipalité”) “oral hearing” means a hearing at which the parties or their representatives attend before the tribunal in person; (“audience orale”) “proceeding” means a proceeding to which this Act applies; (“instance”) “representative” means, in respect of a proceeding to which this Act applies, a person authorized under the Law Society Act to represent a person in that proceeding; (“représentant”) “statutory power of decision” means a power or right, conferred by or under a statute, to make a decision deciding or prescribing, (a)  the legal rights, powers, privileges, immunities, duties or liabilities of any person or party, or (b)  the eligibility of any person or party to receive, or to the continuation of, a benefit or licence, whether the person is legally entitled thereto or not; (“compétence légale de décision”) “tribunal” means one or more persons, whether or not incorporated and however described, upon which a statutory power of decision is conferred by or under a statute; (“tribunal”) “written hearing” means a hearing held by means of the exchange of documents, whether in written form or by electronic means. (“audience écrite”)  ; ; ; (2) A municipality, an unincorporated association of employers, a trade union or council of trade unions who may be a party to a proceeding in the exercise of a statutory power of decision under the statute conferring the power shall be deemed to be a person for the purpose of any provision of this Act or of any rule made under this Act that applies to parties.