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| Tribunals Judiciary | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tribunals Judiciary |
| Established | 2007 |
| Jurisdiction | England and Wales |
| Headquarters | London |
| Chief1 name | Senior President of Tribunals |
| Chief1 position | Head of Tribunals |
Tribunals Judiciary The Tribunals Judiciary is the collective body of judicial office-holders who sit in the tribunals of England and Wales, including members who hear cases arising under statutes such as the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010, and the Immigration Act 1971. It operates alongside institutions such as the Senior Courts of England and Wales, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and the Administrative Court to deliver specialist adjudication in areas ranging from tax to social security and employment. The body interacts with public authorities like the Home Office, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the HM Revenue and Customs, while engaging with oversight by the Ministry of Justice and scrutiny from parliamentary committees including the Justice Select Committee.
The Tribunals Judiciary comprises salaried and fee-paid judges appointed to tribunals such as the First-tier Tribunal, the Upper Tribunal, the Employment Appeal Tribunal, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission and specialist panels for Tax Tribunal matters. Members include legally qualified judges drawn from backgrounds linked to institutions like the Bar Council, the Law Society of England and Wales, the Chartered Institute of Taxation and academic posts at universities such as Oxford University, Cambridge University and the London School of Economics. Decisions are subject to appeal routes through the High Court of Justice (Queen's Bench Division), the Court of Appeal and ultimately the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
The modern Tribunals Judiciary traces its origins to reforms following reports like the Franks Report and the establishment of administrative justice reviews including the Woolf Reforms era and the work of the Tribunals Service and the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Major reorganisations were implemented under legislation such as the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, creating the unified First-tier and Upper Tribunals alongside new leadership roles. Subsequent developments involved interactions with inquiries such as those handled by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and judicial commentary from figures like the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales and the Senior President of Tribunals.
The tribunals system is structured hierarchically: specialist chambers of the First-tier Tribunal feed appeals to the Upper Tribunal, whose decisions can progress to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Jurisdiction spans statutory schemes administered by bodies including the Department for Education, the Ministry of Defence, the Health and Safety Executive, Companies House and the Information Commissioner's Office. Jurisdictional boundaries are influenced by statutes such as the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 and the Pensions Act 2004, while procedural rules interact with instruments like the Civil Procedure Rules and the Tribunals Procedure (Upper Tribunal) Rules.
Judicial appointments are made through competitive processes involving the Judicial Appointments Commission and the Senior President of Tribunals, with selection criteria reflecting experience from the Crown Prosecution Service, the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and private practice at sets such as Gray's Inn, Middle Temple and Lincoln's Inn. Composition includes legally qualified judges, legally qualified members, and lay specialists drawn from backgrounds in medicine, accountancy, education and social work, with connections to organisations like the Royal College of Physicians, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the National Education Union.
Administrative support is provided through bodies formerly known as the Tribunals Service and now coordinated with the HM Courts & Tribunals Service, operating under policy direction from the Ministry of Justice and subject to oversight by the Judicial Office and the Lord Chancellor. Governance arrangements reflect principles articulated in cases such as R (on the application of UNISON) v Lord Chancellor and guidance from the Council on Tribunals legacy. Financial and personnel matters intersect with public finance mechanisms administered by the Treasury and parliamentary supply processes overseen by the Public Accounts Committee.
Key tribunals include the Employment Tribunal, the Social Security Chamber, the Asylum and Immigration Chamber, the Tax Chamber, and specialist bodies such as the Special Immigration Appeals Commission and the Planning and Environment Decisions Tribunal. Prominent decisions affecting administrative law and human rights have involved appellants and institutions including the European Court of Human Rights, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Home Office and the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with landmark cases touching on precedents set in courts like the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
Critiques of the tribunals system have been raised by stakeholders including the Law Society of England and Wales, the Bar Council, campaign groups such as Liberty (human rights organisation), and think tanks like the Institute for Government and the Resolution Foundation. Criticisms focus on access to justice, funding arrangements following litigation in cases like R (on the application of UNISON) v Lord Chancellor, delays highlighted by investigations by the Public Accounts Committee and calls for reform advocated by inquiries such as the Mazars review or proposals from the Statutory Instruments Committee. Reforms have targeted digitalisation via initiatives similar to projects by the HM Courts & Tribunals Service and procedural simplification echoing recommendations from the Civil Justice Council.
Category:Courts and tribunals of England and Wales