The Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) has functioned since 1979 as a central tribunal with the authority to conduct administrative hearings for any agency, board or commission of the city. OATH was established by Executive Order No. 32 in 1979, to professionalize the administrative hearing system serving city government. To secure this objective, OATH was meant to function as an independent agency of government so that its judges would not be unduly influenced by the prosecutor or petitioning agency.