Jun 19 2009
Does legal representation in tribunals make a difference?
Two recent studies suggest that the answer largely depends on the tribunal.
In one, ‘Tribunals Ain’t What They Used To Be‘, which is summarised in the March 2009 edition of the newsletter of the Administrative Justice & Tribunals Council, Professor Michael Adler of Edinburgh University looked at five tribunals. These were the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeal Panel; the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal; the Additional Support Needs Tribunal (Scotland); Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunals (England); and the Employment Tribunal. As he comments, “research and ‘experience’ seemed to have made it clear that having a representative (although not necessarily a legal representative) greatly increased the prospects of a successful tribunal outcome… across the board, the ‘premiums’ associated with representation were 15-18 per cent.” Continue Reading »
