A member of the ARIA committee attended the meeting. Here are the points noted:
1. A new data base of Tribunal Determinations is going live in about a
week’s time. It will only be backdated to the 1st June 2013 at first. Both
reported and unreported determinations will go on. It will be searchable.
2. Interpreters – Capita claim they are now getting their act together. A
new financial package for interpreters was put in place in May and has
improved attendance by interpreters. The arrangements with Capita have
saved the Tribunal Service £15,000,000 a year.
3. Country Guidance – this will be updated once a month. Anyone with a
very recent Determination should notify the the Tribunal to ensure it
appears. There may be a public seminar on country guidance next Spring.
4. Most types of JRs are likely to be transferred to the Upper Tribunal
on the 1st November.
5. A Protocol on communications between judges of the Family Court and the
Tribunal was signed last Thursday.
6. Delays in processing appeals and hearing dates. All the Tribunal’s
planning for this year was on the basis that there would be a drop in the
number of appeals. The opposite has been the case and they are now listing
for Taylor House and Hatton Cross for January and February next year.
Unofficially the President of the First-tier (Mr Clements) said it was
down to money. They cannot utilise empty court rooms by employing more
judges.
7. The question of problems with payment of fees for appeals was not
reached but Mr Justice Blake said he would deal with it in the minutes.
ARIA (uk) 