Weekly issue 548

Tribunal fees, mark two

Following its announcement last month that the first people eligible for a refund of tribunal fees could apply, the government has now opened up the scheme to everyone who is eligible.

Claim forms

According to a decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in Ministry of Defence v Dixon, claimants can validly amend their initial claim forms (ET1) using case management procedures, even if it introduces another cause of action that arose after the first ET1 was lodged.

Equal treatment

The law says it is direct discrimination to treat one person less favourably than another because of their sex (among other characteristics). In HM Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (HMCI) v The Interim Board of Al-Hijrah School, the Court of Appeal held that sex segregation is discriminatory even if both boys and girls are disadvantaged.