News Update

Guidance on access to tribunals for disabled people
The Council on Tribunals has been working with the Disability Rights Commission to produce guidance on access to tribunals for disabled people, in anticipation of the coming into force in October 2004 of Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The Council will shortly be consulting tribunal systems and disability organisations and other interested bodies on a draft of the guidance. It is intended to publish the guidance in the summer.

Special reports of the Council on Tribunals
The Council is currently working on two special reports, one on the operation of school admission and exclusion appeal panels, and the other on health authority discipline committees. It is envisaged that both reports will be issued in the autumn.

Model rules for tribunals
The Council on Tribunals is working on an update of its Model Rules of Procedure for Tribunals, which were last revised in 1999 to make sure they were fully ECHR compliant. The latest revision is aimed at modernising the content, language and presentation of the Model Rules. A consultation on a revised draft of the Rules will take place in due course.

Care Standards Tribunal
The Care Standards Tribunal, which subsumes the existing jurisdictions of the Registered Homes and Protection of Children Tribunals, came into operation on 1 April 2002 under the Presidency of Judge Pearl.

Appointments to the Council on Tribunal
Alexander (Sandy) Russell CB was appointed as a member of the Council on Tribunals in January 2002.