Changes to tribunal procedure come into force

Implementation date: 6 April 2012

The Employment Tribunals (Constitution and Rules of Procedure) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/468) (on the UK legislation website) make changes to employment tribunal procedure:

• The maximum amount of a deposit order, which a tribunal can order a party to pay as a condition to continuing with tribunal proceedings, increases from £500 to £1,000.
• The maximum amount of a costs order, which a tribunal may award in favour of a legally represented party, increases from £10,000 to £20,000.
• Witness statements cease to be read aloud and are instead taken "as read", unless the tribunal directs otherwise.
• Tribunals have the power to direct that the parties to a dispute are responsible for paying witnesses' expenses and that the party who loses the case should reimburse the successful party for any such costs already paid out.

The Employment Tribunals Act 1996 (Tribunal Composition) Order 2012 (SI 2012/988) (on the UK legislation website) prescribes that employment judges hear unfair dismissal cases alone in the employment tribunal, unless they direct otherwise.