Get decisions right first time and hold independent reviews, says tribunals chairman

Local authorities and other public sector bodies need to focus much more on getting their decisions right first time following a surge in appeals to tribunals, the chairman of the Administrative, Justice and Tribunals Council (AJTC) has claimed.

In an interview in The Times, Richard Thomas, the former Information Commissioner, revealed that an estimated 800,000 cases are expected to go to tribunals in 2010, compared to 550,000 two years ago.

Calling for a more consumer-oriented approach, Thomas said public authorities should give the public reasons for decisions in a summarised and intelligible form. “It still does not happen everywhere,” he added.

The AJTC chairman also called on authorities to hold an independent review of a decision as soon as they are aware that an appeal has been lodged. “This should not be the line manager rubber-stamping what the frontline official has decided. It should be a genuine review, and if it is wrong, the organisation should put their hands up and admit it,” he insisted.

Thomas criticised the failure of some government departments to turn up and defend decisions that have been challenged by members of the public. “It makes it very difficult for the tribunals who must then make a decision without hearing in person from the public authority,” he told The Times, adding that it also meant the body in question did not receive feedback.

The AJTC chairman also called on public authorities to adopt a positive mentality to complaints, as demonstrated by the likes of Tesco and John Lewis, which are more user-focused.