'Just not fair' | Tribunal backlog leaves 450,000 in legal limbo

The backlog of open cases at the UK employment tribunals have continued to rise hitting 49,800 at the end of Q4 2024 – a 23% increase on the backlog of 39,000 cases that existed 12 months before, says Littler, the specialist employment law firm.

Littler has previously warned that the introduction of a range of new employment rights in the Government’s Employments Rights Bill is set to lead to further increases in the employment tribunals’ already worrying backlog.

The backlog has gotten so serious that approximately 450,000 individuals (across single and multiple claims) are now waiting for their cases to be resolved.

Philip Cameron, Partner at Littler, explained that there is still a severe shortage of qualified employment tribunal judges which means that both individuals and businesses are having to wait far too long to have their cases resolved.