Litigants in Person
The Law Society of Northern Ireland, Ulster University and the Litigant in Person Reference Group have created a charter to assist lawyers, Litigants in person (LIP), judiciary and staff to build working relationships and encourage better communication and conduct throughout the cases they are involved in. You can access the charter here.
Holiday Pay
Following the outcome of the Supreme Court litigation in Agnew in October 2023, all claims are now being processed in accordance with the Rules.
If you already have a claim lodged in the Tribunal, please contact your representative for further information.
If you wish to lodge a claim please note that you must first contact the Labour Relations Agency to consider Early consideration of the matter before you do so.
Pension Claims
If you are enquiring about a recent Pension Claim. Please note that as it was submitted on your behalf by your Trade Union, you should first contact them for further information.
Secretary to the Tribunals
21 March 2023
Period Products (the Department for the Economy Specified Public Service Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024
The Period Products (Free Provision) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, which received Royal Assent on 12 May 2022, provides for period products to be made available free of charge by all persons who need to use them.
The Act provides that products must be available free of charge on these premises from 12 May 2024.
We carried out a consultation, by way of a short survey, with users of the Tribunals between the period 1 November 2023 to 31 March 2024. That survey asked for opinions on the following:
i. What type of different products do you feel should be made available free of charge? E.g. Tampons; Sanitary Towels; Reusable items;
ii. Where should the products be made available?;
iii. How should users access the products?; and
iv. How should the products, and their locations, be publicised?
Based on the responses received, a variety of period products will be made available in designated toilets on each floor in Killymeal House. A notice will be placed on the toilet doors to alert individuals to the availability of the products. A notice will also be placed in the waiting areas.
2024 Amendments to the Rules of Procedure (effective from 12/12/2024)
The amendments make changes to some tribunal practices. In summary they are:
- Rules 10 - Two or more claimants can make their claims on a single claim form if their claims have common or related issues of fact or law;
- Rule 11 - an employment judge can use discretion where there is a discrepancy in the early conciliation number on the claim form and early conciliation certificate;
- Rule 12 - amends the acceptance date following reconsideration of a rejection;
- Rule 15 - allows a response form to include more than one respondent or more than one claim if the claims have common or related issues of fact or law;
- Rules 19, 23 and 24 - re-instates the issue of default judgments;
- Rule 48 - provides for the tribunal to give reasonable notice to the parties of the date of the hearing;
- Rule 52 - allows for the listing of final hearings with less than 14 days notice, with consent of the parties;
- Rule 53 - An employment judge may sit alone in certain circumstances;
- Rule 61 - Exemption of withdrawal judgments to be recorded on the public Register; and
- Rule 73 - a tribunal may consider whether to make costs orders where there has been a postponement or adjournment following a late application by one of the parties.