News and Updates
New Interim Guidance from on taking oral evidence from abroad has been published
Read the guidance online: Interim Guidance from the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber: taking oral evidence from abroad
New Publication – Disabled Children and the Equality Act 2010: Guide for Teachers
A new publication by the Council for Disabled Children has been produced aiming to explain to teachers their duties to disabled pupils under the Equality Act 2010 in an accessible way. Although it is published in conjunction with the DfE, it does not have any particular status before the Tribunal. Here is the publication: Disabled Children and the Equality Act 2010 – Guide for Teachers
HESC Diversity and Inclusion Committee hosts careers event
On 12 May 2022, a number of judges from HESC provided an overview of their legal careers with a view to encouraging a range of solicitors to consider applying for judicial posts in the future. There were judges from both mental health and SEND who provided an overview of their career path into the law and who shared tips on the qualities that one needed to become a judge as well as the need for evidence based examples. They were able to provide a diverse range of personal experiences about how they got into law and the judiciary. This pilot event aimed to demystify the judiciary and was attended by over 100 solicitors who work in HESC and there were a range of questions from representatives about how they might become judges in the future. HESC intends to run similar events in the future and in due course will extend this to non-legal members.
Specialist Member, SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) Application Seminar
On behalf of the Judicial Diversity Committee, the Diversity and Inclusion Team is holding an online seminar via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 10 May at 5-6pm for those interested in applying for appointment as a Fee-Paid Specialist Member in the First-Tier Tribunal Special Educational Needs and Disability jurisdiction.
More information may be found online.
Chamber President and Chief Medical Member to speak at the International Congress of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
The Chamber President and the Chief Medical Member, Dr Joan Rutherford, will speak at the International Congress of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Edinburgh this year.
Session title: Understanding the Family Court if you’re not an expert witness – a session for clinicians of all grades
Time: 10.30-11.45
Date: Wednesday 22 June 2022
You can find the full programme online.
Mental Health: Ombudsman Guidance on s117 aftercare
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) have released new guidance to tackle common and repeated mistakes seen in the aftercare of patients receiving support under the Mental Health Act. The guidance highlights the need for effective and timely joint working between local authorities and NHS clinical commissioning groups.
Deputy Chamber President to speak at International Conference
Judge Tudur will be taking part in the Inaugural Tribunals Conference ‘Advancing Access to Justice through a Quality Tribunals System’, being held (remotely) from Singapore. She will be speaking on the important subject of the Tribunals Reform of 2008 and the Technology-based Reform of 2020 in the United Kingdom.
Further details may be found online.
New judicial appointments
Judge Lawrence Ford has been appointed as a Judge of the First-tier Tribunal by the Senior President of Tribunals, the Right Honourable Sir Keith Lindblom.
The Senior President of Tribunals has assigned him to the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber to exercise the Special Educational Needs and Disability, Care Standards and Primary Health Lists jurisdictions within that Chamber with effect from 7 June 2021.
Judge Ford was admitted to the Roll in 1987. He was appointed as a fee-paid Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, assigned to the Social Entitlement Chamber in 2013. He was also assigned to the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber in 2017.
Judge Elisabeth Bussey-Jones has been appointed as a Judge of the First-tier Tribunal by the Senior President of Tribunals, the Right Honourable Sir Keith Lindblom.
The Senior President of Tribunals has assigned her to the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber to exercise the Mental Health Jurisdiction within that Chamber with effect from 7 June 2021.
Judge Bussey-Jones was called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1997. She was appointed as a Recorder in 2016 and as a Deputy District Judge in 2015. She was also appointed as a fee-paid Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, assigned to the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber in 2018.
Judge Jo Boylan-Kemp MBE has been appointed as a Judge of the First-tier Tribunal by the Senior President of Tribunals, the Right Honourable Sir Keith Lindblom.
The Senior President of Tribunals has assigned her to the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber to exercise the Mental Health Jurisdiction within that Chamber, with effect from 17 May 2021.
Judge Boylan-Kemp MBE was called to the Bar (Lincoln’s Inn) in 2003. She was appointed as a fee-paid Judge of the First-tier Tribunal assigned to the Social Entitlement Chamber in 2013, and in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber in 2014. She was also appointed to the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber in 2018.