New tribunal appointments
as judicial mediation is shelved
314 new employment
tribunal lay members have been appointed, along with 25 employment judges, to
increase the capacity of the tribunal system. This comes at the same time as
a decision not to roll-out the judicial mediation scheme piloted in three
regions because it had not proved effective.
Following a major
recruitment drive by the Tribunals Service, the appointment of 341 new panel
members has been approved – 293 in England and Wales and 48 in Scotland – who
will provide the workplace experience of disciplinary issues and dispute
resolution upon which the Tribunal depends. This follows the appointment of 35
employment judges to increase the capacity of the employment tribunal system
overall.
An evaluation of the
effectiveness of the judicial mediation service, which was piloted in Newcastle, Central London and Birmingham tribunals, has shown that it has
not been a success and it will not be rolled-out in its current form. The
report has found that judicial mediation was an expensive process to administer
and was not offset by the estimated benefits. It did not have a significant
effect on the timing of settlements, rate of resolution or sense of
satisfaction experienced by claimants and employers.
This provides summary information and comment on the subject areas covered. Where employment tribunal and appellate court cases are reported, the information does not set out all of the facts, the legal arguments presented and the judgments made in every aspect of the case. Employment law is subject to constant change either by statute or by interpretation by the courts. While every care has been taken in compiling this information, we cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Specialist legal advice must be taken on any legal issues that may arise before embarking upon any formal course of action.
