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Hard copies of precedents no longer required by WRC

As part of its public-information mandate, the WRC has prepared a list of the case authorities from other tribunals and courts that are most frequently cited before it.

These changes will be of particular use to practitioners and parties before the WRC.

The list was generated by a specially designed AI-based search of over 10,000 WRC decisions.

The database has established the 150 most commonly cited decisions, and most statistically significant cases, from other courts and tribunals.

Jurisprudence 

All of the WRC’s existing jurisprudence is available separately on its fully searchable website database.

In order to reduce the environmental impact of printing and sending large files to the WRC, parties no longer need to send in copies of cases upon which they rely, if they appear on the list.

The list will be reviewed periodically, and the full text of each case appears in the linked pdf file.

Parties and their representatives may include a hyperlink to the decision if there is an open source link available.

However, parties must still explain why a case is relevant to their arguments, and cite the relevant sections of the case authorities upon which they rely.

List of authorities

The list of authorities was last reviewed on 6 June 2023.

The WRC has also set out a table of the remedies that WRC adjudication officers have jurisdiction to provide under employment and equality legislation.

The table was last revised on 31 May, though further changes are likely to be required once relevant aspects of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023are commenced.

Complaints

Where a person believes that their rights may have been breached, they, or their representative, may submit a complaint to the WRC director general.

The WRC strongly encourages early engagement with mediation. The DG may, if they consider the matter to be suitable for resolution by means of mediation, refer such complaint to a mediation officer.

Otherwise, they will refer the matter to an adjudication officer for adjudication.

An updated version of the information note for practitioners, reflects the 2021 procedures regarding the 15 working-day deadline prior to a hearing, for lodgement of submissions.

Other adjudication policy and procedures are also available in the adjudication hub of the website.

WRC employment and equality rights information is also detailed in short animated video series translated into several service-user languages.

The WRC website also contains a suite of regularly-updated rights-information guides, including sample five-day terms, which reflect the Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Regulations.

Terms of employment are also set out, as well as information on tips and gratuities.

Explainer videos may also be useful to clients who have not attended a hearing previously.