Industrial Tribunals: Fees

Lord Scott of Foscote Excerpts

Wednesday 19th October 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord McNally]

My Lords, I fully endorse the growl of approval from the Benches opposite but this is precisely the argument that we will have again and again in the weeks and months to come. The problem is that a system that started off as a non-confrontational, non-legal settlement of disputes has become peopled by m’learned friends at great expense. We are trying to move away from a legalistic approach to settling disputes to one that will settle more by arbitration, conciliation and mediation.

[Lord Scott of Foscote]

My Lords, the accessibility of a civil justice system is one of the features of the structure of the administration of justice that every civilised country ought to provide for its citizens. Is not the danger of a fee structure system that the fees might be set at too high a level, thereby denying access to justice to those unfortunates who could not afford such a fee?

[Lord McNally]

My Lords, that is precisely why we are consulting and taking a further impact assessment—so that we will have a fee structure that will not have the detrimental effects the noble and learned Lord is suggesting.