Independent, practical help for litigants in person in England & Wales.
35 articles · All articles
Written by John Barwell
Winning liability is only half the case. This guide explains how an employment tribunal actually builds an unfair dismissal award: the basic award’s statutory formula, the compensatory award’s assessment of real financial loss, the reductions for conduct, chance and mitigation, the statutory cap, and the up-to-25% Acas Code adjustment either way.
Written by John Barwell
With the Acas early conciliation period now able to run to twelve weeks, the tribunal deadline is a computed date, not a guessed one. This worked-arithmetic guide runs three fact patterns – unfair dismissal, discrimination and unpaid wages – through the Day A and Day B rules, shows exactly where the one-month floor bites, and sets out the calendar discipline a claimant needs, including what changes when six-month limits arrive on 1 October 2026.
Written by John Barwell
Moving a listed Employment Tribunal hearing takes a formal application, not a diary note. This guide explains the rule 32 test in the 2024 Rules, what the presidential guidance expects a postponement request to contain, and the timing and evidence that decide whether it succeeds.
Written by John Barwell
Nine months after Royal Assent, the Employment Rights Act 2025 is a half-built statute. Tribunal time limits double on 1 October 2026, but the unfair dismissal changes do not begin until January 2027 — and for dismissal the test is the date the employment ends, not the day the decision is announced. A state-of-play guide to what is in force, what is not, and how to time a claim in the overlap.
Written by John Barwell
Employment Tribunal conduct may be disruptive in effect while mental impairment remains relevant to its cause. This article examines evidence, non-attendance, costs, unless orders, strike-out and fairness to both parties.
Written by John Barwell
Employment Tribunal proceedings do not inevitably cause mental illness. But for a litigant in person, self-representation can add anxiety, cognitive load and procedural pressure to an already damaging workplace dispute.
Written by John Barwell
The first battle in an Employment Tribunal claim may be procedural. The ET1, grounds of claim and particulars can decide whether the case is clear enough to survive early pressure.
Written by John Barwell
A Legal Lens article on ET3 responses, procedural fairness and why a bare denial may not define the dispute.
Written by John Barwell
The ET1 is more than an Employment Tribunal claim form. It is the first point where a workplace story becomes a case, shaping the issues, respondent response, evidence, amendment risk and access to justice.
Written by John Barwell
Employment Tribunals are under pressure. Legal Lens explains why the backlog is a route-design problem, not just a delay problem.
