Tribunal
A specialist judicial body that hears particular categories of dispute — such as employment, immigration, or tax — outside the main court hierarchy.
Definition
A tribunal is a quasi-judicial body established by statute to determine disputes in a specific area of law. In England and Wales, the main tribunal framework is set out in the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2007/15/contents" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007</a>, which created a two-tier system: the First-tier Tribunal (which hears cases at first instance, organised into chambers such as the Employment Tribunal and the Social Entitlement Chamber) and the Upper Tribunal (which hears appeals on points of law from the First-tier, and has the same powers as the High Court in judicial review in certain cases). Tribunals generally apply a more inquisitorial, less adversarial procedure than courts — there are no court fees at the Employment Tribunal, pleadings are simpler, and judges (called "Employment Judges" at ET) often sit with lay members who bring specialist expertise. Decisions of the Upper Tribunal can be appealed to the Court of Appeal. Key tribunals include: the Employment Tribunal (unfair dismissal, discrimination, equal pay); the First-tier Tribunal (Tax) (income tax, VAT, stamp duty disputes); the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) (residential landlord and tenant disputes, deposit disputes, HMO licensing); and the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.
In practice
Knowing which tribunal hears your claim matters enormously. A claim for unfair dismissal must go to the Employment Tribunal — you cannot bring it in the county court. A challenge to a council tax decision goes to a Valuation Tribunal, not a civil court. Most tribunals have strict time limits: Employment Tribunal claims must be started at ACAS within three months of the act complained of. See the <a href="/guides/work/unfair-dismissal-claim" class="body-link">unfair dismissal claim guide</a> and the <a href="/glossary/first-instance-court" class="body-link">first-instance court glossary entry</a> for how tribunals relate to the court hierarchy.