header-logo header-logo

Playing with perceptions

02 December 2011 / Stephen Levinson
Issue: 7492 / Categories: Opinion , Tribunals , Employment
printer mail-detail

Stephen Levinson puts Vince Cable’s new regime for employment tribunals under the spotlight

The new regime for employment tribunals revealed by the Business Secretary is a product of a variety of motives. Politics and money were the principal drivers and their effect will be analysed in this article, which will suggest that while their overall impact is mixed some will cause long-term damage to a system that has many merits as well as recognised flaws.

Good sense

First, it has to be recognised that some very welcome changes are to be made. The proposals for encouraging early conciliation and mediation, streamlining compromise agreements and redrafting s147 Equality Act 2010 all make sense and are to be encouraged. In addition rewriting the whistle blowing laws to prevent employees bringing claims based on complaints about breaches of their own contracts is long overdue. Also on the list of sensible ideas is the fundamental review of tribunal rules to be carried out by Mr Justice Underhill; and the removal of some of the absurdities of

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
back-to-top-scroll