Internal disciplinary proceedings

They appealed, arguing the doctrine of res judicata, which operates to prevent a matter being reopened which has already been pronounced upon by a Judge or a Tribunal with jurisdiction. They argued that this doctrine should have applied to prevent the disciplinary proceedings being re-opened to impose a more severe sanction.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal on the basis that internal disciplinary proceedings operated by an employer were not a form of adjudication susceptible to the doctrine and that the purpose of a disciplinary procedure was not to determine an issue which would establish the existence of a legal right or determine a dispute, which is the premise on which the doctrine is founded. It said that the critical question was whether the procedures “operate independently of the parties such that it is appropriate to describe their function as an adjudication between the parties”.

This legal update is provided for general information purposes only and should not be applied to specific circumstances without prior consultation with us.

For further details on any of the issues covered in this update please contact Gemma Ospedale, Partner in Employment on 020 7583 2222.