In 1906, the Factories Amendment Act created a Court of Industrial Appeals, consisting of a single Supreme Court judge who heard mainly appeals from determinations of wage boards.
In 2017, the Industrial Relations Court of South Australia was dissolved by an amendment to the Fair Work Act 1994, and it was immediately replaced by the present Court, which is constituted under the South Australian Employment Tribunal Act 2014.
The Court has both civil and criminal jurisdiction in respect of a wide range of disputes arising out of employment law.
The South Australian Employment Tribunal is a body that complements the functions of the Court.
The Tribunal deals with arbitration matters which cannot be dealt with by a Court, in accordance with the Boilermakers' doctrine.