Workplace Report December 2002

Features: Law at Work

Delays in dealing with tribunal claims

If there are very long delays to do with a backlog of claims at tribunals before an employee's claim is heard then this can amount to a violation of the right to a fair hearing under human rights legislation.

A ruling by the European Court of Human Rights has upheld a claim that delays amounted to a denial of human rights even where the actual claim being pursued was unsuccessful once the tribunal had heard it.

* Somjee v UK [2002] IRLR 886