Industrial Relations Commission of NSW

Chronology

 

What is a chronology?  

A chronology is a list of events relevant to your proceedings arranged in date order. It is used as a guide or reference, rather than as evidence. 

Why should I create a chronology? 

A member of the Industrial Relations of Commission of New South Wales may order or direct a party to prepare and file a chronology where the member considers it would assist in dealing with the proceedings. 

A chronology can also be a useful tool to organise your thoughts, identify relevant evidence or witnesses, structure your argument and write your submissions.  

How do I prepare my chronology?  

Having identified the key events and documents relevant to your proceedings create a list of them in date order from the oldest to the most recent using the chronology template on the Commission’s website.  

How should I structure the chronology? 

The chronology should be a concise accurate summary of all the key events relevant to your proceedings. Do not omit or remove matters that are of assistance to one party or the other.  

Each entry in the chronology should include:  

Date:When (date and, if necessary, time) the event occurred. 
Event:Brief description of what occurred on that date. 
Document reference:Reference (if any) to where the document or evidence that supports the occurrence of the event and/or its relevance can be found in the materials that have been filed.  If there is a Court Book (CB) or Appeal Book (AB), use that and put the page numbers, e.g. CB36-37. 

See example below:

DateEventDocument reference
10 September 2025John Smith sent an email to Daisy Jones raising issues about her performanceJS-A

 

How do I format the chronology?  

Use the chronology template provided.

Subject to any order or direction by the Commission, the chronology should be: 

  • usually no more than two pages, but the length will depend on the complexity of the issues;  
  • at least 11-point font; 
  • 1.5 line spacing; and 
  • normal margins. 

Where do I file the chronology?  

A Commission member may order or direct that a chronology be filed in proceedings.  

A chronology can be included in a Court or Appeal Book filed pursuant to an order or direction of the Commission. A chronology can also be filed as a standalone document through the NSW Online Registry or, in limited circumstances, by email, post or in person. 

Further guidance about filing can be found in Practice Note 32. 

Guidance for preparing a chronology 

  • use plain English; 
  • do not include lengthy text (it is a short guide only—you will have an opportunity to expand upon it); 
  • include only what is relevant;   
  • do not use hostile, abusive or graphic language;  
  • the date format should be Day Month Year (e.g. 10 September 20XX); 
  • if you are unsure of the exact date, make it as accurate as you can (e.g. mid-September 20XX) 

Last updated: