# The Tribunal Procedure and Employment Tribunal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2026, Note: Explanatory note


(This note is not part of the Rules)
These Rules amend the following instruments—
the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Chamber) Rules 2008 (S.I. 2008/2686) (“the WPAFCC Rules”);
the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) Rules 2008 (S.I. 2008/2699) (“the HESC Rules”);
the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Tax Chamber) Rules 2009 (S.I. 2009/273) (“the TC Rules”);
the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (General Regulatory Chamber) Rules 2009 (S.I. 2009/1976) (“the GRC Rules”);
the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Property Chamber) Rules 2013 (S.I. 2013/1169) (“the PC Rules”);
the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) Rules 2014 (S.I. 2014/2604) (“the IAC Rules”);
the Employment Tribunal Procedure Rules 2024 (S.I. 2024/1155) (“the ET Rules”).
Rule 2 amends the WPAFCC Rules to reduce the period of time within which a party’s application for a written statement of reasons for a decision must be received from 42 days to 28 days.
Rule 3 amends the HESC Rules to enable the Tribunal to make a decision disposing of proceedings concerning specified educational, health care and social care needs assessment decisions without a hearing if the Tribunal considers it is able to do so.
Rule 4 amends the TC Rules to change various time limits within which certain steps must be taken regarding the provision of a decision notice and findings of fact and reasons for the decision. It also changes the circumstances in which a decision notice need not be accompanied by findings and reasons or a summary of them.
Rule 5 amends the GRC Rules to enable the Tribunal to re-allocate cases to either a standard track or open track, further to initial allocation by a practice direction given under section 23 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (c. 15), and to set out when written reasons for a decision must, or a written summary of reasons may, be given according to which track a case is allocated. A web address at which the practice direction can be found is set out in the Explanatory Memorandum published alongside this instrument on www.legislation.gov.uk.
Rule 6 amends the PC Rules to reduce the period of time within which a party’s request for written reasons for a decision must be made from 1 month to 14 days.
Rule 7 amends the IAC Rules to reduce the period of time within which a party’s application for a written statement of reasons for a decision must be received if an appellant is in the United Kingdom from 28 days to 14 days.
Rule 8 amends the ET Rules to—
clarify the availability of dispute resolution appointments and judicial assessments as a means of alternative dispute resolution;
enable the Tribunal to reject the whole or part of a claim or an employer’s contract claim, or dismiss the whole or part of a response or reply to an employer’s contract claim, if no grounds are set out for it;
enable the Tribunal, if it considers it in the interests of justice, to disapply rule 22 (effect of non-presentation) if it does not receive a reply to an employer’s contract claim in the specified period of time;
enable the Tribunal to direct a party to provide a draft of a case management order to the Tribunal or another party;
enable the Tribunal to provide summary reasons for a judgment orally at a hearing and subsequently in writing where requested;
ensure that any written summary reasons for a judgment do not need to be entered into the Register (as defined in rule 2(1) of the ET Rules);
add a further exception to the requirement to enter copies of judgments into the Register in respect of a refusal of an application to reconsider a judgment, if the refusal is on the grounds that substantially the same application for reconsideration has already been made and refused;
consolidate and align requirements to provide copies of decisions to a referring court;
homogenise references in the rules to written records.
An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/115/note (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/tribunal-procedure-and-employment-tribunal-procedure-amendment-rules-2026/note
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.