The First-tier Tribunal is a first-instance general

tribunal A tribunal, generally, is any person or institution with authority to judge, adjudicate on, or determine claims or disputes—whether or not it is called a tribunal in its title. For example, an advocate who appears before a court with a singl ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. It was created in 2008 as part of a programme, enacted in the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, to rationalise the

system, and has since taken on the functions of 20 previously existing tribunals. It is administered by

His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom), Ministry of Justice. It was created on 1 April 2011 (as Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service) by the merger of Her Maj ...

. Appeals from it lie to the Upper Tribunal, the second part of the 'two-tier system'.

Chambers and jurisdiction

The tribunal currently consists of seven chambers, structured around subject areas (although the General Regulatory Chamber has a very broad remit). The chambers may be divided into sections, mirroring the jurisdictions inherited from the tribunals which have been merged into the First-tier Tribunal. Different jurisdictions have been transferred into the tribunal in a programme which began in 2008 and is continuing.

Judiciary

The judiciary of the First-tier Tribunal comprises tribunal judges and other members. Legally qualified members of the former tribunals became Tribunal Judges of the First-tier Tribunal when their jurisdiction was transferred, whilst the lay members (often with expertise in the subject matter of the former tribunal) became other members. New judges and members are appointed by the Judicial Appointments Commission. In addition, the following may also sit as Judges of the First-tier Tribunal: * Judges of the Upper Tribunal * Court of Appeal judges *

Court of Session The Court of Session is the highest national court of Scotland in relation to Civil law (common law), civil cases. The court was established in 1532 to take on the judicial functions of the royal council. Its jurisdiction overlapped with othe ...

judges * High Court judges * Circuit judges and

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...

s * District judges and

district judges (magistrates' courts) A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

The First-tier Tribunal is presided over by the Senior President of Tribunals, since 19 September 2020 Sir Keith Lindblom. Each chamber of the First-tier Tribunal is headed by a chamber president, and within each chamber each section or jurisdiction is headed by a principal judge. In most cases, decisions are made by a judge and two other members, although this can vary between chambers and sections, and also depending on the case concerned. Judges may be permanent office holders, known as salaried judges, or part time, known as fee paid judges.

Appeal

In most cases, appeals against decisions of the First-tier Tribunal can be made to the Upper Tribunal, but only with the permission of the First-tier Tribunal or the Upper Tribunal. Before deciding whether to grant permission to Appeal to the Upper Tribunal, the First Tier Tribunal must consider whether to subject its own decision to 'Reconsideration'. In the case of Criminal Injuries Compensation and Asylum Support cases, there is technically no right of appeal, but a decision may be reviewed by way of an application to the Upper Tribunal for

judicial review Judicial review is a process under which a government's executive, legislative, or administrative actions are subject to review by the judiciary. In a judicial review, a court may invalidate laws, acts, or governmental actions that are in ...

of the First-tier Tribunal's decision.

External links

Tribunals
Ministry of Justice
Tribunal Decisions
Judiciary of England and Wales

References

{{reflist Law of the United Kingdom United Kingdom administrative law United Kingdom tribunals 2008 establishments in the United Kingdom Courts and tribunals established in 2008