Employment Tribunal Preliminary Hearing

[LuckPeter]

Hello,

Does anyone know of a company/organisation providing someone to attend a preliminary hearing with you for moral support?

I am aware of one organisation providing this service free of charge but the criteria is that your final hearing can't be scheduled for more than two days to be eligible to receive this service.

Does anyone know anyone or any organisation that is willing free of charge to attend a preliminary hearing by video on 12th of January to provide moral support?

I have noticed that when the Claimant represents himself some ET judges tend to lean more on the Respondent side and agree with the Respondent without questioning anything the Respondent says making the hearing one sided. But, when there is someone with the Respondent always the hearings are more fair and not one sided.

I have experienced this with my hearings and other hearings I attend to watch and lear from.

[ULA]

• The Free Representation Unit but you need to be referred to them by a referral agency such as Citizen's Advice Bureaux, Law Centres and Mind Employment advice | FRU (thefru.org.uk)
• Support Through Court Support Through Court
• The Personal Support Unit The Personal Support Unit | Work for Good
• Some universities have law students providing pro bono support via clinics held at the university, may be worth checking any local to you.

Judges are required to be impartial, regardless of whether or not a claimant or respondent is represented, know as Litigants in person. In fact Practice Guidance have been issued in respect of Litigants in Person and a section of this covers the role of the Judge:

• Judges must be aware of the feelings and difficulties experienced by litigants in person and be ready and able to help them, especially if a represented party is being oppressive or aggressive.
• Maintaining patience and an even‐handed approach is also important where the litigant in person is being oppressive or aggressive towards another party or its representative or towards the court or tribunal. The judge should, however, remain understanding so far as possible as to what might lie behind their behaviour.
• Maintaining a balance between assisting and understanding what the litigant in person requires, while protecting their represented opponent against the problems that can be caused by the litigant in person's lack of legal and procedural knowledge, is the key

[LuckPeter]

Thank you for all the information you provided, I will try what you have suggested.