The Fair Employment Tribunal (Rules of Procedure) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005

Costs or preparation time orders when a deposit has been taken

41.—(1) Where –

(a) a party has been ordered under rule 19 to pay a deposit as a condition of being permitted to continue to participate in proceedings relating to a matter;

(b) in respect of that matter, the tribunal or chairman has found against that party in its or his decision; and

(c) no award of costs or preparation time has been made against that party arising out of the proceedings on the matter,

the tribunal or chairman shall consider whether to make a costs or preparation time order against that party on the ground that the party conducted the proceedings relating to the matter unreasonably in persisting in having the matter determined; but the tribunal or chairman shall not make a costs or preparation time order on that ground unless it or he has considered the document recording the order under rule 19 and is of the opinion that the grounds which caused the tribunal or chairman to find against the party in its decision were substantially the same as the grounds recorded in that document for considering that the contentions of the party had little reasonable prospect of success.

(2) Where a costs or preparation time order is made against a party who has had an order under rule 19 made against him (whether the award arises out of the proceedings relating to the matter in respect of which the order was made or out of proceedings relating to any other matter considered with that matter), his deposit shall be paid in part or full settlement of the costs or preparation time order –

(a) where an order is made in favour of one party, to that party; and

(b) where orders are made in favour of more than one party, to all of them or any one or more of them as the tribunal or chairman thinks fit, and if to all or more than one, in such proportions as the tribunal or chairman considers appropriate,

and if the amount of the deposit exceeds the amount of the costs or preparation time order, the balance shall be refunded to the party who paid it.