What happens next

Before the hearing

After you make a claim, the Tribunal may organise a pre-hearing telephone conference to set out expectations and explain the hearing process to the parties.

The hearing

The Tribunal will contact you with the date, time and place of your hearing.

If you, one of your witnesses, or your lawyer (if you have one) isn't available on that date, you must immediately notify us and the other parties, in writing.

Hearings are formal and open to the public unless there’s a good reason for them to be held in private.

Present your case

You can present your own case or have a lawyer, or advocate, present it for you.

Adjournment

You may apply for an adjournment if you can’t attend the hearing on the scheduled date for reasons such as illness, bereavement and other exceptional circumstances.

If you request an adjournment, you must also send a copy of that request to the other party or parties. It is recommended that you provide documents supporting your application for adjournment.

The Chairperson may consider granting you an adjournment. 

You may be liable to pay costs if you don’t apply for an adjournment in advance.

The decision

The Tribunal will let you know its decision and reasons in writing at a later date after the hearing.

Appeal the Tribunal’s decision

You can appeal the Tribunal’s decision to the High Court but only on a question of law – that is, if you think the Tribunal got the law wrong when it made its decision.

You should seek legal advice before appealing to the High Court.

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