Employment tribunal system faces crisis as claims surge

A flood of cases after the abolition of fees last year following a ruling from the Supreme Court that they were unlawful has led to a surge in claims, putting immense pressure on the system.

Lawyers have said claimants are having to wait up to a year for cases which could last up to three days.

In Manchester, preliminary hearings are facing delays of up to six months and lawyers say tribunals are dealing with 1,000 items of post per day.

Joanne O’ Connell, the editor of employmentsolicitor.com, said claims have soared since fees were scrapped, with Ministry of Justice figures showing single claims up by 90 per cent in the last quarter of 2017.

Paul McFarlane, a partner at Weightmans, said there was “a very real and growing problem”.

“I had a hearing that transferred at the last minute from Southampton to Exeter, for example. As a consequence, fees for the barrister increased, hotels and travel arrangements for lawyers and witnesses, which had been paid for, had to be rebooked. There’s also the emotional pressure: while cases are ongoing, people cannot easily move on with their lives,” he said.