Abolition of tribunal fees

The introduction of employment tribunal fees in 2013 saw a collapse in claims, with an 80% reduction in the number of sex discrimination claims for example. Thanks to a landmark Supreme Court challenge brought by UNISON, the government was forced to abolish the fees in July 2017. The court ruled they were unlawful, unconstitutional and discriminatory (UNISON v The Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC 51).

Despite the ruling, the MoJ has confirmed it may reintroduce the fees. Answering questions from the House of Commons Justice Committee in November 2018, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Justice, Richard Heaton, said the department was looking into a replacement fee scheme.