Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council ... - Consultation Hub

23 August, 2011
Public Bodies Bill Team,
Ministry of Justice.
Post point 3.18,
102 Petty France,
London SW1H 9AJ
Dear Sirs,
Public Bodies Bill Consultation
I wish to make the following comments in response to the above consultation.
These comments are made in a wholly personal capacity and do not represent
the views of any institution or organisation.
Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council (Questions 1-3)
I would favour the retention of the Administrative Justice and Tribunals
Council (AJTC). Although the recent changes to the tribunal system, notably
the creation of the Tribunals Service, have created a position where
tribunals are more co-ordinated and consistent and have a higher profile
(all areas where in the past the role of the Council on Tribunals was
vital), there are dangers in the new structure which the AJTC can help to
avoid and new opportunities for significant progress which will be lost if
it is abolished.
The key danger is that the very strength the Tribunals Service weakens the
attention on anything that falls outwith its remit. Thus the position of
the devolved tribunals becomes isolated and the opportunities for shared
learning and developing good practice are lost. More significantly, the
clearer focus on the tribunal stage risks diminished attention on the other
stages of the administrative process. This is where there is a great
opportunity for the AJTC to make a major contribution (and to pay its way
and more). The expansion of the AJTC’s remit from the narrower focus of the
Council on Tribunals is crucial here. The AJTC is the only body that can
link together departmental practice, the tribunals. the courts, ombudsmen
and less formal complaints mechanisms. the only body with a remit that
encompasses an overview of all stages of the ‘ays in which the
administration at all levels deals with indiidual members of the public who
are unhappy ith their treatment.