R (UNISON) v Lord Chancellor (Nos 1 and 2)

Subject Matter

EMPLOYMENT — Employment appeal tribunal — Court fees — Validity — Lord Chancellor introducing fees regime in employment tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal — Whether breaching EU principles of effectiveness or equivalence — Whether breach of public sector equality duty — Whether discriminatory — Employment Tribunals and Employment Appeal Tribunal Fees Order 2013 (SI 2013/1893)

[2014] EWHC 218 (Admin); [2014] ICR 498; [2014] WLR (D) 57, DC

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS — Employment tribunals — Fees — Imposition of fees for access to employment tribunals and appeal tribunal — Whether breach of EU principles of effectiveness and equivalence — Whether breach of public sector equality duty — Whether indirectly discriminatory — Equality Act 2010, s 149(1) — Employment Tribunals and Employment Appeal Tribunal Fees Order 2013, arts 3, 4

[2014] EWHC 218 (Admin); [2014] ICR 498; [2014] WLR (D) 57, DC

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS — Employment tribunals — Fees — Imposition of fees for access to employment tribunals and appeal tribunal — Whether breach of EU principle of effectiveness — Whether breach of public sector equality duty — Whether indirectly discriminatory — Whether challenge to imposition of fees premature — Equality Act 2010, ss 29(6), 149(1) — Employment Tribunals and Employment Appeal Tribunal Fees Order 2013, arts 3, 4, Sch 3, para 16

[2015] EWCA Civ 935; [2016] ICR 1; [2016] 4 All ER 25; [2015] WLR (D) 370, CA

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS — Employment tribunals — Fees — Lord Chancellor making Order imposing fees for access to employment tribunals and appeal tribunal — Whether breach of constitutional right of access to justice — Whether breach of European Union principle of effective judicial protection — Whether Order to be quashed as unlawful — Whether indirectly discriminatory — Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (c 4), s 42 — Equality Act 2010 (c 15), s 19 — Employment Tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal Fees Order 2013 (SI 2013/1893), arts 3, 4 — Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1953) (Cmd 8969), arts 6, 13 — Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, art 47

[2017] UKSC 51; [2020] AC 869; [2017] 3 WLR 409; [2017] ICR 1037; [2017] 4 All ER 903; [2017] WLR (D) 552; Case details, SC(E)

Appellate History

Commentary

Modern Law Review
A Adams & Jeremias Prassl, ‘Vexatious Claims: Access to Justice, Judicial Scrutiny, and the Economics of the Rule of Law’ [2017] MLRForum 009

New Law Journal
Unlawful fees and out of time claims (2017) 167 NLJ 7759, p 11

Blackstones Civil Practice 2023
Right to a Fair and Public Hearing and Civil Litigation - Financial constraints on access to justice 91.45