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13 February 2019 / Shane Crawford
Issue: 7828 / Categories: Features , Employment
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Striking the balance or striking out?

When should the justice of case proceedings prevail over hardnosed case management practice? Shane Crawford investigates
  • On consideration of decisions during 2018, the Employment Appeal Tribunal has demonstrated that there is a fine line between firm case management and unjustified curtailment of the right to bring or advance a claim.

The steady increase in claims and the pressure on tribunals’ resources bring a sharper focus to the case management powers invested in judges during the preliminary stages of claims.

Robust use of case management powers in the hands of employment judges is a natural progression. On consideration of decisions during 2018, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has, however, demonstrated that there is a fine line between firm case management and unjustified curtailment of the right to bring or advance a claim.

Managing the issues

Managing the extent of the issues in discrimination claims: In Tarn v Dr Hughes & Ors UKEAT/0064/18/DM, [2018] IRLR 1021, the claimant was required by the judge to choose the ten ‘most recent and serious’

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Cripps—Radius Law

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Commercial and technology practice boosted by team hire

Switalskis—Grimsby

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Firm expands with new Grimsby office to serve North East Lincolnshire

Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury

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Property team boosted by two solicitor appointments

NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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