Tribunals
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will review the effectiveness of the mechanisms in place to ensure parties in tribunal cases comply with information requests in a timely manner.
Answered by Heidi Alexander
The management and listing of tribunal cases, and decisions on whether to reimburse the legal fees of a party in individual cases, are functions of the independent judiciary.
Although orders for costs are not generally made in tribunal proceedings, tribunal procedure rules do provide for the tribunal to award costs in certain circumstances, for example where a party, or their legal representative, has conducted the litigation unreasonably.
HMCTS works closely with the judiciary to actively manage the progression of cases through the tribunal system. Legal officers regularly review the live caseload to ensure that tribunal cases are progressed in accordance with the directions of the tribunal so that they are ready to be heard when listed.
HMCTS continues to invest in improving tribunal productivity through the recruitment of additional Judges, deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems and the use of remote hearing technology.
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