Social Security Administration Act 1992

Social security appeal tribunals

40 Panels for appointment to social security appeal tribunals

(1) The President shall constitute for the whole of Great Britain, to act for such areas as he thinks fit and be composed of such persons as he thinks fit to appoint, panels of persons to act as members of social security appeal tribunals.

(2) The panel for an area shall be composed of persons appearing to the President to have knowledge or experience of conditions in the area and to be representative of persons living or working in the area.

(3) Before appointing members of a panel, the President shall take into consideration any recommendations from such organisations or persons as he considers appropriate.

(4) The members of the panels shall hold office for such period as the President may direct, but the President may at any time terminate the appointment of any member of a panel.

41 Constitution of social security appeal tribunals

(1) A social security appeal tribunal shall consist of a chairman and two other persons.

(2) The members other than the chairman shall be drawn from the appropriate panel constituted under section 40 above.

(3) The President shall nominate the chairman.

(4) The President may nominate as chairman—

(a) himself;

(b) one of the full-time chairmen appointed under section 51(1) below; or

(c) a person drawn from the panel appointed by the Lord Chancellor or, as the case may be, the Lord President of the Court of Session under section 7 of the [1971 c. 62.] Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1971.

(5) No person shall be appointed chairman of a tribunal under subsection (4)(c) above unless he has a 5 year general qualification or he is an advocate or solicitor in Scotland of at least 5 years' standing.

(6) If practicable, at least one of the members of the appeal tribunal hearing a case shall be of the same sex as the claimant.

(7) Schedule 2 to this Act shall have effect for supplementing this section.