EAT Remote Hearings to Be Made Permanent
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a temporary amendment was made to the Employment Appeal Tribunal Rules, in order to allow hearings to take place remotely. From 25 September 2022, this amendment will be made permanent.
The way we work has changed over the past few years. The changes we have seen are not limited to our interaction with our workplaces, but also extend to how some court and Tribunal hearings take place.
On 25 September 2022, when the current temporary amendment expires, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (Amendment) Rules 2022 will come into force. They will allow remote EAT hearings to take place on a permanent basis going forward. For an EAT hearing to take place remotely, this must be just and equitable, and the parties, witness and members of the public must also be able to attend and participate fully with the remote hearing.
In theory, making this change permanent might help towards reducing the backlog of Tribunal appeals, if hearings can be dispensed with more efficiency on a remote basis. However, the extent of the impact of this change on the current backlog remains to be seen.