UK Act of Parliament 1996 United Kingdom

Employment Tribunals Act 1996

An Act to consolidate enactments relating to employment tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

Enforced by
HMCTS
Status
Amended (in force with amendments)
Penalty ceiling
Prosecution 6 of 18 obligations carry an unlimited fine. 2 carry different penalties and 10 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Does it bind you?

Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.

Any Person5 Employer3

Plus 10 duties on the regulator, Crown ministers and public bodies — folded into the section list below.

Other Acts binding the same actors

If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.

Any Person — also bound by 2340 other Acts
Employer — also bound by 682 other Acts

What it requires

Sections creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.

Part 1

Employment Tribunals

9 of 34 sections shown
s.002 Enactments conferring jurisdiction on employment tribunals. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Employment tribunals must handle cases authorised by lawTribunal / Court
s.005 Oaths Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Presidents and tribunal members must take judicial oathsTribunal / Court
s.008 Procedure in contract cases. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Tribunal must order payment of sums found due in contract claimsTribunal / Court
s.010 Restriction of publicity in cases involving national security. Prosecution
  • Publish prohibited witness details or secret tribunal reasonsAny Person

Unlimited fine

s.011 Restriction of publicity in cases involving sexual misconduct. (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Publish identifying details in breach of a restricted reporting orderAny Person

Unlimited fine

s.012 Restriction of publicity in disability cases. (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Publish identifying details in breach of a restricted reporting orderAny Person

Unlimited fine

s.012 Financial penalties Prosecution
  • Breach employment rights with aggravating featuresEmployer

Fine up to £20,000

s.018 Conciliation after institution of proceedings Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • ACAS conciliation officers must attempt to settle tribunal claimsStatutory regulator
s.019 Conciliation procedure. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Tribunal must notify parties of conciliation servicesTribunal / Court
25 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
s.003 Meaning of “Employment Judge”
s.005 Training etc.
s.005 Members of employment tribunals: removal from office
s.005 Judicial assistance
s.007 Practice directions
s.007 Mediation
s.010 Confidential information.
s.013 Payments in respect of preparation time
s.018 Requirement to contact ACAS before instituting proceedings
s.018 Conciliation before institution of proceedings: other ACAS duties
s.019 Conciliation: recovery of sums payable under settlements
Part 2

Financial penalties for failure to pay sums ordered to be paid or settlement sums

2 of 17 sections shown
s.037 Warning notice Regulated
  • Failure to pay employment tribunal award or settlement sumEmployer
s.037 Penalty notice Prosecution
  • Failure to pay employment tribunal award or settlementEmployer

Unlimited fine

15 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
s.037 Sums to which financial penalty can relate
s.037 Financial award: unpaid amount
s.037 Settlement sum: unpaid amount
s.037 Unpaid amount of relevant sum: further provision
s.037 Appeal against penalty notice
s.037 Interest and recovery
s.037 Withdrawal of warning notice
s.037 Withdrawal of penalty notice
s.037 Replacement penalty notice
s.037 Effect of replacement penalty notice
s.037 Enforcement officers
s.037 Power to amend Part 2A
s.037 Modification in particular cases
s.037 Giving of notices
s.037 Financial penalties for non-payment: interpretation
Part 2

The Employment Appeal Tribunal

7 of 24 sections shown
s.022 Membership of Appeal Tribunal. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Crown and Judiciary must ensure Employment Appeal Tribunal is properly staffedCrown / Minister / Government department
s.024 Oaths Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Specified tribunal members must take oaths of officeTribunal / Court
s.027 Remuneration, pensions and allowances. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Lord Chancellor must pay remuneration and pensions to tribunal membersCrown / Minister / Government department
s.030 Appeal Tribunal procedure rules. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Lord Chancellor must establish procedural rules for the Employment Appeal TribunalCrown / Minister / Government department
s.031 Restriction of publicity in cases involving sexual misconduct. (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Publish identifying details breaching a restricted reporting orderAny Person

Unlimited fine

s.032 Restriction of publicity in disability cases. (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Publish identifying details in breach of a restricted reporting orderAny Person

Unlimited fine

s.036 Enforcement of decisions etc. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Judicial consent required for Tribunal contempt or fine remissionTribunal / Court
17 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
s.024 Training etc. of members of Appeal Tribunal
s.029 Practice directions
s.037 Appeals to Supreme Court: grant of certificate by Appeal Tribunal
s.037 Appeals to Supreme Court: permission to appeal
s.037 Appeals to Supreme Court: exclusions
Part 3

General and Supplementary

0 of 13 sections shown
Schedules

Schedules

0 of 48 shown
48 other schedules
s.sch001 Section 135(4)(b) of the Transport Act 1968 shall continue to...
s.sch001 (1) The Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993 is amended...
s.sch001 In section 181(1) of the Pension Schemes Act 1993, in...
s.sch001 (1) The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 is amended as follows....
s.sch001 Section 2 of the Transport Holding Company Act 1972 shall...
s.sch001 In section 75(5)(c) of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, for...
s.sch001 (1) The Race Relations Act 1976 is amended as follows....
s.sch001 In the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977—
s.sch001 In section 12(1) of the Judicial Pensions Act 1981, for...
s.sch001 In section 58(4) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992,...
s.sch001 In section 288 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations...
s.sch001 (1) The Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1992 is amended as...
s.sch002 The substitution of this Act for the provisions repealed or...
s.sch002 (1) If Part XI of the Reserve Forces Act 1996...
s.sch002 Anything done, or having effect as done, (including the making...
s.sch002 Any reference (express or implied) in this Act or any...
s.sch002 (1) Any reference (express or implied) in any enactment, or...
s.sch002 Paragraphs 1 to 4 have effect in place of section...
s.sch002 The repeal by this Act of section 130 of, and...
s.sch002 (1) If paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to the Jobseekers...
s.sch002 (1) If section 31 of the Trade Union Reform and...
s.sch003 Schedule 3 para.1
s.sch003 The following abbreviations are used in the Table— EP(C)A =...
s.schedule a1 para.1 (1) The Tribunal Procedure Committee must exercise its power to...
s.schedule a1 para.10 Intervention by Secretary of State
s.schedule a1 para.11 Evidence, witnesses and attendance
s.schedule a1 para.12 Use of information
s.schedule a1 para.13 Set-off
s.schedule a1 para.14 Reconsideration or review of decisions
s.schedule a1 para.15 Correction of errors and setting aside of decisions on procedural grounds
s.schedule a1 para.16 Registration and proof of decisions
s.schedule a1 para.17 Ancillary powers
s.schedule a1 para.18 Rules may refer to practice directions
s.schedule a1 para.19 Presumptions
s.schedule a1 para.2 Delegation of functions to staff
s.schedule a1 para.20 Differential provision
s.schedule a1 para.21 Procedure for making Procedure Rules
s.schedule a1 para.22 Interpretation
s.schedule a1 para.3 Time limits
s.schedule a1 para.4 Determining where to start proceedings
s.schedule a1 para.5 Repeat applications
s.schedule a1 para.6 Tribunal acting of its own initiative
s.schedule a1 para.7 Hearings
s.schedule a1 para.8 Proceedings without notice
s.schedule a1 para.9 Representation
1 other provision
s.procedure rules Procedure Rules

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