Adjourning tribunals

Tribunals have the power to refuse to proceed with cases where they believe that the applicant has been frivolous or vexatious, for example by failing to turn up at a hearing, or leaving early. However, the Employment Appeal Tribunal has said that where an individual asks for an adjournment on the grounds of the ill-health of a parent or child tribunals "should be slow to treat such concerns as other than genuine" in the absence of evidence to the contrary.

(Valkove v Benefit Agency Medical Services EAT/538/99)