§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in the light of the judgment of the Court of Appeal of 17 December 1997 in Martins v. Marks and Spencer plc (The Times Law Reports, 15 January), they will take steps to ensure that complaints of unlawful discrimination are determined within a reasonable time, in accordance with Article 6(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights. [HL199]
§ The Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Simon of Highbury)The Government agree that complaints arising under any jurisdiction before an industrial tribunal should be heard and determined within a reasonable time. Over 80 per cent. of tribunal applicants come to a hearing within the target of 26 weeks, many of them well within the target. However, as the judgment in this appeal notes, the timely hearing and determination of cases depends on a number of factors including the co-operation of the parties concerned. The Government have noted the judgment which suggests a number of ways which the Court of Appeal considers that case management could be improved. These are, of course, matters for the independent judiciary who I am sure will also have noted them.