Tribunals deal with about 1 million cases a year, on a huge variety of issues such as disputes over tax, pensions or immigration.
Tribunals
This section gives some background information on the work and remit of the different tribunals.
The Appeals Service
The purpose of the Appeals Service is to deal with disputes about: Income Support; Jobseeker's Allowance; Incapacity Benefit; Disability Living Allowance; Attendance Allowance; and Retirement Pension. It also deals with disputes about: Child Support Maintenance; Tax Credits; and decisions on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
More information is available on the Appeals Service website.
Asylum & Immigration Tribunal
The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal is the successor to the Immigration Appellate Authority and the Immigration Appeals Tribunal (AIT). The tribunal was set up under the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act 2004 and came into being on 4 April 2005. The purpose of the tribunal is to hear and decide appeals against decisions made by the Home Office in matters of asylum, immigration and nationality.
Appeals are decided by one or more immigration judges who are sometimes supported by non-legal members of the tribunal. When there is more than one person hearing an appeal the group is called a panel.
Both immigration judges and non-legal members of the tribunal are appointed by the Judicial Appointments Commission. Immigration judges are experienced lawyers and both they and the non-legal members of the tribunal are independent of the government. They make their decisions according to the law and without bias.
More information:
The Criminal Injuries and Compensation Appeals Panel
The Panel's role is to determine appeals against decisions made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority solely arising from claims for compensation for criminal injuries made on and after 1 April 1996 under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
More information is available on the Criminal Injuries and Compensation Appeals Panel website.
Employment Tribunals
Employment Tribunals hear claims about matters to do with employment. These include unfair dismissal, redundancy payments and discrimination. They also deal with a range of claims relating to wages and other payments.
An Employment Tribunal is like a court but it is not as formal; for example, nobody wears a wig or gown. However, like a court it must act independently and cannot give legal advice. Almost all hearings are open to the public.
More information is available on the Employment Tribunals website.
Finance and Tax Tribunals
(including The Special Commissioners of Income Tax, VAT and Duties Tribunal and the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal).
A group of tribunals for those wishing to appeal against decisions of HM Customs & Excise and the Inland Revenue or to refer matters relating to certain decisions of the Financial Services Authority.
More information is available on the Finance and Tax Tribunals website.
Gender Recognition Panel
The gender recognition panel assesses applications from transsexual people for legal recognition of the gender in which they now live. The panel was set up under the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and ensures that transsexual people can enjoy the rights and responsibilities appropriate to their acquired gender.
More information is available on the Gender Recognition Panel website.
General Commissioners of Income Tax
The General Commissioners of Income Tax is a tribunal which hears appeals against decisions made by the Inland Revenue on a variety of different tax related matters.
More information is available on the General Commissioners of Income Tax .
Immigration Services Tribunal
The Immigration Services Tribunal was created in October 2000 to hear appeals against decisions made by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner and to consider disciplinary charges brought against immigration advisors by the Commissioner.
More information is available on the Immigration Services Tribunal website.
Information Tribunal
The remit of the tribunal is to hear appeals by data controllers against notices issued by the Information Commissioner under the Data Protection Act 1998, usually enforcement notices. The tribunal can now also hear appeals against enforcement notices or information notices issued by the Commissioner in regard to publication schemes under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
More information is available on the Information Tribunal website.
Lands Tribunal
The Lands Tribunal was established by the Lands Tribunal Act 1949 to determine questions of disputed compensation arising out of the compulsory acquisition of land; to decide rating appeals; to exercise jurisdiction under section 84 of the Law of Property Act 1925 (discharge and modification of restrictive covenants); and to act as arbitrator under references by consent.
More information is available on the Lands Tribunal website.
The Mental Health Review Tribunal
Has responsibility for hearing applications or references concerning people detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.
More information is available on the Mental Health Review Tribunal website.
Pensions Appeal Tribunals
The Pensions Appeal Tribunals hear appeals from ex-servicemen or women who have had their claims for a War Pension rejected by the Secretary of State for Defence. The tribunals' jurisdiction covers England & Wales, and they are independent from the Veterans Agency.
The tribunals have been set up in their present form since 1943 although they have been in existence, as part of the Lord Chancellor's responsibility since the War Pensions Act 1919.
The tribunal has a duty to make sure the hearing is fair and that the atmosphere at the hearing allows the claimant to relax and do justice to their case. The tribunal's job is to discover the facts. This means that the tribunal Members will help and encourage the claimant and the members of the tribunal may ask questions about any aspect of the claimant's Appeal. The tribunal may also want to discuss facts or points of law that affect the Appeal, even if those points have not been raised during the hearing. Once it has discussed the evidence, the tribunal will come to a decision.
More information is available on the Pensions Appeal Tribunals website.
Social Security & Child Support Commissioners
Commissioners decide appeals on points of law from Appeals Service tribunals in social security, tax credit, child support, housing benefit, council tax benefit and compensation recovery cases. They also decide appeals from Pensions Appeal Tribunals relating to war pensions and cases which have been referred to them under the Forfeiture Act.
The Social Security and Child Support Commissioners are special judges appointed by The Queen. They are independent of, and in no way connected to, the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs, the Child Support Agency or Local Authorities.
More information is available on the Social Security & Child Support Commissioners' website.
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal
Parents whose children have special educational needs can appeal to the Special Educational Needs & Disability Tribunal against decisions made by local education authorities (LEAs) in England and Wales about their children's education.
More information is available on the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunals website.
Transport Tribunal
The Transport Tribunal has three jurisdictions. It was originally set up to hear appeals against decisions of Traffic Commissioners in connection with the Heavy Goods Vehicles & Public Service Vehicles Operators Licensing Systems. It also hears appeals against decisions of The Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors. In addition, it is able to resolve disputes under the Postal Services Act 2000.
More information is available on the Transport Tribunal website.