UNISON has announced that it will be launching a new Judicial Review into the introduction of tribunal fees, following a hearing at the Court of Appeal on 18 September 2014. The Lord Chancellor agreed with UNISON that a new hearing should take place as soon as possible, in light of new evidence. As readers will be aware, the Ministry of Justice statistics show a dramatic fall in claims being brought to Employment Tribunals and to the Employment Appeal Tribunal. In the circumstances, the Court of Appeal agreed to stay appeal proceedings against a previous High Court ruling while a new High Court claim is brought. Last year UNISON argued that the introduction of fees would deny access to justice for workers treated unfairly by employers and would therefore be unlawful, and that the requirement to pay fees has a disproportionate impact on women. The High Court ruled in February 2014 that because the fees were introduced in July 2013 the full impact could not yet be determined.

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