Concerns grow over private appeals tribunals

The move to hold employment hearings behind closed doors could be in breach of constitutional requirement that justice should be done in public, an expert has warned.

Under legislation introduced in 2015, most employment rights hearings now take place in private with no access for the public or the media. Some cases before the Employment Appeals Tribunal have continued to be heard in public but only because they were initiated before the legislation came into effect.

It is expected the last of these legacy cases will be concluded by the end of April, meaning from then all initial employment inquiries will take place in private. Cases appealed to the Labour Court will continue to be heard in public.