2020 No. 415
Employment Tribunals

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Rules 2020

Made
Laid before Parliament
Coming into force in accordance with rule 1
The Lord Chancellor, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 30 of the Employment Tribunals Act 19961, makes the following Rules.

The Lord Chancellor has consulted the Lord President of the Court of Session in accordance with section 30(1) of that Act before making these Rules.

Citation and commencement1.

These Rules may be cited as the Employment Appeal Tribunal (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Rules 2020 and come into force on the day after the day on which they are laid.

Annotations:
Commencement Information

I1Rule 1 in force at 10.4.2020, see rule 1

Expiry2.

These Rules expire on the same day that, and immediately after, section 55(b) (public participation in proceedings conducted by video or audio) of the Coronavirus Act 20202 expires for all purposes.
Annotations:
Commencement Information

I2Rule 2 in force at 10.4.2020, see rule 1

Amendment to the Employment Appeal Tribunal Rules 19933.

(1)

The Employment Appeal Tribunal Rules 19933 are amended as follows.

(2)

In rule 29 (oral hearings), after paragraph (2), insert—

“(3)

Any oral hearing may be conducted, in whole or in part, by use of electronic communication (including by telephone) provided that the Appeal Tribunal considers that it would be just and equitable to do so and provided that the parties and members of the public attending the hearing are able to hear what the Appeal Tribunal hears and see any witness as seen by the Appeal Tribunal.”.

Annotations:
Commencement Information

I3Rule 3 in force at 10.4.2020, see rule 1

Chris Philp
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Ministry of Justice
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Rules)

The Employment Appeal Tribunal Rules 1993 (“the 1993 Rules”) are the rules governing procedure in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. These Rules temporarily amend the 1993 Rules to specify that a hearing may be conducted by means of electronic communication. The amendment made by the Rules will expire on the same day as section 55(b) of the Coronavirus Act 2020.

No impact assessment has been carried out for this amendment as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.