Regulation 55 Tribunal panel’s decisionI1

For the purposes of arriving at its decision the tribunal panel must, and for the purposes of discussing a question of procedure may, notwithstanding anything contained in these Regulations, order all persons to withdraw from the sitting of the tribunal panel other than the members of the tribunal panel and any of the persons mentioned in regulation 43(4)(c) to (f), or, as their respective duties require, regulation 43(4)(g) and (h).

A decision of the tribunal panel may be taken by a majority and where the tribunal panel is constituted by two members under regulation 45(5) the Chair has a second or casting vote.

The decision of the tribunal panel may be given orally at the end of the hearing or reserved and, in any event, whether there has been a hearing or not, must be recorded immediately in a document which except in the case of a decision by consent, must also contain, or have annexed to it, a statement of the reasons (in summary form) for the tribunal panel’s decision, and such document must be signed and dated by the Chair.

Neither a decision given orally nor the document referred to in paragraph (3) may contain any reference to the decision being by majority (if that is the case) or to any opinion of a minority.

Every decision of the tribunal panel must be entered in the Register.

The Secretary of the Tribunal must send a copy of the document referred to in paragraph (3) as soon as is practicable to each party, accompanied by guidance, in a form approved by the President, about the circumstances in which there is a right to appeal against the tribunal panel decision and the procedure to be followed.

Where regulations 15(11)(a) or 67(2) apply the Secretary of the Tribunal must send a copy of the documents referred to in paragraph (6) to the appellant or claimant in addition to the representative or the case friend.

Every decision is to be treated as having been made on the date on which a copy of the document recording it is sent to the appellant or claimant (whether or not the decision has previously been announced at the end of the hearing).