The Ministry of Justice refund scheme for employment tribunal fees has now opened up to anyone who paid a fee. The first phase of the scheme, announced in October, addressed those applying for refunds for single claims. The scheme is now open to all potential claimants. The MoJ has predicted the refund will cost about £32m. Employment tribunal fees, ranging between £160 and £,200, were introduced in 2013, but ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court in July, in a case brought by trade union Unison, R (oao Unison) v Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC 51.
20 November 2017
Fees refund open to all
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Winckworth Sherwood—Charlotte Coleman & Qaisar Sheikh
Two promoted to partner in property litigation and education teams
Dorsey & Whitney LLP—Peter Knust
Cross-border finance and restructuring specialist joins as of counsel in London
Powell Gilbert—Callum Beamish-Lacey
IP firm promotes litigator to partnership
NEWS
From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed
Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
