The Industrial Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1987

2.  A person may apply for compensation under this Schedule where—

(a)he was dismissed from his employment on or after 1st October 1976 (when Article 22(6) of the No. 1 Order came into force) and before 4th May 1982 (when the amendments of Article 22 of the No. 1 Order made by Article 8 of and Schedule 2 to the 1982 Order came into force);

(b)he did not bring, or brought but did not succeed in, a complaint of unfair dismissal; and

(c)if the amendments referred to in sub-paragraph (a) had been in force in relation to his dismissal (the law otherwise being as it was at the time), he would have been entitled by virtue of those amendments to succeed in a complaint of unfair dismissal.