Case Management Discussion for Employment trial

[patrickstar]

I wondered if a union rep could give me any advice after i received a letter from rm solicitors today

My case management discussion is coming up in a few months and i have a 30 mile trip to my employment tribunal court and i am happy to travel there.However i have had this letter from rm solicitors asking if i would agree to a conference call rather than them turning up at court because they sight excess costs to travel because they are coming from liverpool

Can i refuse to agree to this or is this a reasonable request from them.I am not sure where the telephone conversation would be either? would this been from my home or from the court i am attending this is not made clear in the letter

cheers for your help

[General Mannerheim]

Yes you could refuse ...but you would have to have a good reason to objecting to this request,and in any case a good percentage of these Case Management Discussions are now done by telephone anyway.
What will happen is you will go to a meeting with a judge and he will have a speakerphone and you will hear all that is said etc,you can butt in if there is something you object to...thing is though Rm Lawyers are shite at following protocol(arogant arseholes) and have been known to not have filed all the relevant documental evidence which they must do before 4p.m the day before the hearing...
Good Luck Patrick!!

[brothermagrew]

Case Management Discussions:
Case management discussions (CMDs) are held in private before an employment judge sitting alone and aim to identify the issues to be determined in the case and to consider procedural aspects such as whether a pre-hearing review is required or particular evidence, eg medical evidence in a disability discrimination case, should be gathered. They do not consider the merits of the case (ie whether it is likely to succeed or fail).

CMDs may be conducted face to face or, if the parties are legally represented, by telephone conference between the judge and the parties' representatives. No evidence is given by the parties or their witnesses.

The employment judge may make orders on a wide range of matters including:

That a party provide additional information
That a hearing be postponed or adjourned or the proceedings stayed
If you do not carry out or comply with any order made by the tribunal:

Your response may be struck out
You may be ordered to pay all or some of the claimant's costs

[patrickstar]

thanks for your help

[sharonbar]

my case managment is in a few wks an we are doing by telephone as im in england now an theres no way im going to belfast for a half hour good luck on yours is the union backing you on this

[sharonbar]

patrick star have you had your meeting yet how did it go if youve had it

[patrickstar]

hi
no my CMD is a few months away but i know now that i will get union legal backing thank god!!!
I have taken advice and agreed to a telephone discussion with the judge present but not rm solicitors

My et1 will have an additional amendment to it now which apparently you can do as long as it is before the trial and reasonable.I cant go into details ,i wasnt dismissed but what happened to me was disgraceful as so many other people have commented on with their experiences

good luck with yours