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If you lose the case, you can request the
tribunal to review its own decision. You
must do this at the hearing or within 14
days of the decision being recorded. The
grounds for doing this are limited though.
You would be likely to succeed, for example,
if one of the parties was absent for part or
all of the hearing, or if new evidence
becomes available but not simply because you
thought the decision was wrong. Appeal is
also possible to the Employment Appeal
Tribunal (EAT) which sits in London for
England, Cardiff for Wales and Edinburgh for
Scotland. The EAT is a special appeal
tribunal which only deals with
employment‑related issues, nearly all on
appeal from the Employment Tribunals. The
appeal has to be lodged within 42 days of
the tribunal decision. A special form is
required, which can be obtained from the
Employment Tribunal office or directly from
the :-
Employment Appeal Tribunal Audit
House
58 Victoria Embankment
London
EC4Y 0DS
Tel No: 020 7273 1040
Fax No: 020 7273 1045 Employment
Appeal Tribunal
52 Melville Street
Edinburgh
EH3 7HS
Tel No: 0131 225 3963
Fax No: 0131 220 6694
Appeals are only allowed on a point of
law but this can include a 'perverse'
decision by the tribunal where, for example,
the members did not understand the facts.
You will need a copy of the full written
reasons for the tribunal's decision, which
they will send you automatically and a copy
of the Chair's notes, which you will have to
request from the tribunal. It is possible to
get legal aid for representation at the EAT
and, as it will essentially be dealing with
points of law, it is important to be
properly represented by your union or by a
solicitor. Unions may have in‑house
solicitors who will represent you, or may
engage a solicitor for you and pay the
costs. Your employer can also appeal.
Appeal from the EAT is to the Court of
Appeal, but you need leave from the EAT to
do this. Appeal from the Court of Appeal is
to the House of Lords. You will certainly
need legal representation at these stages.
It is also possible for a tribunal or any of
the courts involved at an appeal stage to
refer a case to the European Court of
Justice. Only cases involving important
legal principles that derive from EU law
will go to Europe. It is likely to be a slow
and expensive process, in which you will
need the support of your union, or an
organization such as the Equal Opportunities
Commission. 
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The Interactive
Law Group