27 March 2020
Industrial Tribunals and the Fair Employment Tribunal Update
PRESIDENTIAL GUIDANCE ISSUED UNDER RULE 8 OF SCHEDULE 1 OF THE INDUSTRIAL TRIBUNALS AND FAIR EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNAL (CONSTITUTION AND RULES OF PROCEDURE) REGULATIONS (NORTHERN IRELAND) 2020
Further to my Presidential
Guidance issued on 20 March 2020, and having regard to the restrictions
announced by the Prime Minister on 23 March 2020 in respect of the Covid-19
pandemic, all proceedings
before the Tribunals i.e. preliminary hearings and final hearings, have been
postponed and will not be heard before the 1st of July 2020, except
where an Employment Judge deems the matter urgent.
Rescheduling of hearings will
take place as soon as is reasonably practicable and parties will be advised
accordingly.
The Office of the Tribunals is
now closed. All correspondence addressed to Killymeal House will be redirected
to Netherleigh, Massey Avenue
Belfast BT4 2JP.
Where possible, claim forms, response
forms and all other correspondence should be sent electronically to the
Tribunal office inbox at mail@employmenttribunalsni.org.
This
inbox will be monitored by the administration team. Where electronic means of
communication has been used, a duplicate hard copy should not be sent.
Employment Judges and tribunal
staff will be working remotely but please note that service capacity of the
tribunals is reduced at this time.
All of the above guidance is
subject to a continuing review in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
President: Eileen McBride CBE
27
March 2020