Adjudicator

An adjudicator is someone who presides, judges and arbitrates during a formal dispute. The term adjudicator essentially means a judge, without invoking the legal term. An ombudsman is a type of adjudicator in local government in the United Kingdom.

An example of an adjudicator is a person who makes a preliminary judgment as to an unemployment insurance claim. An adjudicator makes an initial decision to keep a case from going to court. Although the adjudicator's decision does not have the same legal weight, an adjudicator has still rendered a decision just like a judge. Although a case can be appealed to a judge, the adjudicator's decision is frequently accepted as the same as what a judge would make, keeping many time-consuming cases out of the court system.

Adjudicator is also a term used to refer to a panel of judges in the process of receiving a Top Secret/SCI clearance for the United States government. Adjudicators are the panel that review all of the information from a background investigation and a polygraph and make a decision whether or not to grant the clearance. Adjudicators in a medical review board make disability and retirement benefit decisions for Federal employees and Military personnel after an individual has applied for immediate retirement because of a serious or chronic medical condition. Adjudicators also exist for immigration benefits. ^[1]

In contexts such as music and theater, an adjudicator (often referred to as a "judge"), is a person who gives a critical evaluation of performances in competitions, festivals or talent shows, resulting in the award of marks, medals or prizes.

References

1. ^ [1]

Adjudicators Field Manual, United States Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services