The Care Tribunal Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005

PART VII SUPPLEMENTARY

Method of sending documents

29.—(1) Any document may be sent to the Care Tribunal by post, by fax, electronically or through a document exchange, unless the Chairman directs otherwise.

(2) Any notice or document which these regulations authorise or require the Care Tribunal to send to a party shall be sent –

(a) by first-class post to the address given for the purpose by that party in accordance with these Regulations;

(b) by fax or electronically to a number or address given by that party for the purpose; or

(c) where the party has given for the purpose an address which includes a numbered box number at a document exchange, by leaving the notice or document addressed to that numbered box at that document exchange or at a document exchange which transmits documents on every working day to that exchange.

(3) If a notice or document cannot be sent to a party in accordance with paragraph (2), the Chairman may dispense with service of it or direct that it be served on that party in such manner as he thinks appropriate.

(4) Any notice or document sent by the Secretary to a party in accordance with these regulations shall be taken to have been received –

(a) if sent by post and not returned, on the second working day after it was posted;

(b) if sent by fax or electronically, unless the Secretary has been notified that the transmission has been unsuccessful, on the next working day after it was sent;

(c) if left at a document exchange in accordance with paragraph (2), on the second working day after it was left; and

(d) if served in accordance with a direction under paragraph (3), on the next working day after it was so served.

Irregularities

30.—(1) An irregularity resulting from failure to comply with any provision of these Regulations or any direction given in accordance with them before the Care Tribunal has reached its decision shall not of itself render the proceedings void.

(2) Where any irregularity comes to the attention of the Chairman (before the hearing) or the Care Tribunal he or it may and, if it appears that any person may have been prejudiced by the irregularity, shall, before reaching a decision, give such directions as he or it thinks just to cure or waive the irregularity.

(3) Clerical mistakes in any document recording the decision of the Care Tribunal or a direction or decision of the Chairman, or errors arising in such documents from accidental slips or omissions, may at any time be corrected by the Chairman by means of a certificate signed by him.

(4) The Secretary shall as soon as practicable where a document is corrected in accordance with paragraph (3) send the parties a copy of any corrected document together with reasons for the decision to correct the document.

Application on behalf of person under a disability

31.—(1) A person may, by writing to the Secretary, request authorisation by the Chairman to make any application to the Care Tribunal on behalf of any person who is prevented by mental or physical infirmity from acting on his own behalf.

(2) A person acting in accordance with an authorisation under this regulation may on behalf of the other person take any step or do anything which that person is required or permitted to do under these Regulations, subject to any conditions which the Chairman may impose.

Death of applicant

32.  If the applicant dies, before the case or application for leave is determined, the Chairman may –

(a) strike out the case or application for leave in so far as it relates to that individual without making a costs order;

(b) appoint such person as he thinks fit to proceed with the appeal in the place of the deceased applicant.

Amendment of appeal, application for leave or response

33.—(1) The applicant may amend the reasons he gives in support of the case or application for leave as the case may be, but only with the leave of the Chairman (or at the hearing, with the leave of the Care Tribunal).

(2) The respondent may amend the reasons he gives for opposing the applicant’s case or application for leave, as the case may be, but only with the leave of the Chairman (or at the hearing, with the leave of the Care Tribunal).

(3) Where the Chairman dismisses the proceedings under paragraph (1) or determines the case, or the application for leave in the applicant;s favour under paragraph (2), the references to the Care Tribunal in regulation 26 shall be read as if they were references to “the Chairman”.

(4) Where the Chairman or Care Tribunal gives leave to either party to amend the reasons given in support of his case, he may do so on such terms as he thinks fit (including, subject to regulation 25, the making of a costs order).

Withdrawal of proceedings or opposition to proceedings

34.—(1) If the applicant at any time notifies the Care Tribunal in writing, or states at a hearing, that he no longer wishes to pursue the proceedings, the Chairman (or at the hearing, the Care Tribunal) must dismiss the proceedings, and may, subject to regulation 25(2) and (3) make a costs order.

(2) If the respondent notifies the Care Tribunal in writing, or states at a hearing, that he does not oppose or no longer opposes the proceedings, the Chairman (or at the hearing, the Care Tribunal) –

(a) must without delay determine the case or, as the case may be, the application for leave in the applicant’s favour;

(b) subject to regulation 25 may make a costs order; and

(c) must consider making one.

Proof of documents and certification of decisions

35.—(1) A document purporting to be issued by the Secretary shall be taken to have been so issued, unless the contrary is proved.

(2) A document purporting to be certified by the Secretary to be a true copy of a document containing –

(a) a decision of the Care Tribunal; or

(b) an order of the Chairman or of the Care Tribunal,

shall be sufficient evidence of the matters contained in it, unless the contrary is proved.

Time

36.—(1) The Chairman may having consulted the parties in the case extend any time limit mentioned in these Regulations if in the circumstances –

(a) it would be unreasonable to expect it to be, or to have been, complied with; and

(b) it would be unfair not to extend it.

(2) The Chairman may reduce any time limit in these Regulations if he considers it reasonable to do so and the parties in the case agree to the reduction.

(3) Where the time prescribed by these Regulations, or specified in any direction given by the Chairman, for taking any step expires on a day which is not a working day, the step must be treated as having been done in time if it is done on the next working day.

(4) This regulation does not apply to the time limits provided for initiating an appeal in paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 and paragraph 1 of Schedule 2.