Tribunal changes announced

From 16 July 2001 the costs that can be awarded against applicants whose claims are seen as misconceived will rise from £500 to £10,000. At the same time the amount of the deposit which a tribunal can require to be paid before hearing the case will rise to £500, from the previous £150.

The EAT has held that the appointment process for choosing lay tribunal members is not in breach of the Human Rights Act 1998 because they no longer serve their term of office under the control of the secretary of state for employment. However, according to the EAT, prior to 1999 and to changes in the appointment procedure, the tribunals would have been in breach had the Act been in force (Scanfuture UK v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, The Times Law Reports, 26 April 2001).