Tribunal fees are unlawful, Supreme Court rules

In what some people are calling the biggest day for employment law, the Supreme Court has ruled the UK Government’s tribunal fees are “illegal” - The Telegraph reports. Britain’s highest court has announced that the fees are “discriminatory” against women, after a review found that the number of employment tribunals has fallen by 70% following the fee introduction.

Fees of up £1,200 were thought to be unfairly high for workers and prevented them from bringing workplace grievances to the courts. General Secretary, Dave Prentis told The Telegraph: "The Government is not above the law, but when ministers introduced fees they were disregarding laws many centuries old, and showing little concern for employees seeking justice following illegal treatment at work.

“The Government has been acting unlawfully, and has been proved wrong - not just on simple economics, but on constitutional law and basic fairness too.”

As for HR, this ruling is sure to have huge consequences. As Rachel Suff, Employment Relations Adviser at the CIPD, said: “If we are to build more open, inclusive and tolerant workplaces then workers have to have the ability to enforce their employment rights and challenge discrimination. It is clear that, not only was the current fee regime failing to provide that opportunity for redress, it did not enjoy the confidence of employers either.”