“dart” the disability attitude re tool · dart september 2017 page 3 of 42 1. foreword and...

“DART” ‐ THE DISABILITY ATTITUDE RE ‐ADJUSTMENT TOOL

AGUIDETOCOMBATINGDISABILITYDISCRIMINATION

WITHOUTLEGALREPRESENTATION

USINGTHEEQUALITYACTINENGLAND

DougPaulley,September2017

DART

September2017 Page1of42

CONTENTS

1.ForewordandDisclaimer...........................................................................4

2.WhytheEqualityAct?..................................................................................5

3.WhyUnrepresented?....................................................................................6

4.Risks.....................................................................................................................8

5.CourtFees..........................................................................................................9

Exemptions.......................................................................................................9

IfyouDOhavetopay....................................................................................9

6.Flowchart.........................................................................................................11

7.ActofDiscrimination..................................................................................12

8.LetterbeforeAction....................................................................................13

9.SubjectAccessRequest..............................................................................15

10.PosturingandNegotiation.....................................................................16

InformalNegotiation..................................................................................16

FormalNegotiation......................................................................................17

11.Damages.......................................................................................................18

Publicity............................................................................................................20

FormsofAgreement...................................................................................20

12.StartingtheClaim......................................................................................21

ClaimForm......................................................................................................21

13.ParticularsofClaim...................................................................................23

14.SendtotheCourt.......................................................................................25

BewareaCommonCourtserviceErroR.............................................25

15.NoticeofIssueandAcknowledgementofService.......................26

16.Defence...........................................................................................................27

17.DirectionsQuestionnaire.......................................................................28

DirectionsFormN180................................................................................29

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DirectionsFormN181................................................................................30

18.Disclosure&otherpracticalities.........................................................32

NoticeofTrialDate......................................................................................32

Directions........................................................................................................32

Disclosure...................................................................................................32

WitnessStatements................................................................................33

19.TheFinalHearing......................................................................................34

Negotiate..........................................................................................................34

BeforetheHearing.......................................................................................35

TheHearing....................................................................................................36

TheJudgment.................................................................................................37

20.AdvancedTactics.......................................................................................38

ApplicationtoStrikeOutDefence.........................................................38

RequestforFurtherInformation...........................................................39

Part36OffertoSettle.................................................................................40

Assessors.........................................................................................................41

“IDon’tHaveAnyMoney"........................................................................42

21.Conclusion....................................................................................................43

CartoonbyCrippen/DaveLuptonCartoons:http://www.crippencartoons.co.uk/

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1. FOREWORDANDDISCLAIMER

Thisdocumentisasummaryoftheprocedures,informationandtacticsI’velearnedtousethroughmy40+casesofdisabilitydiscriminationagainstserviceprovidersundertheEqualityAct2010asanEnglishLitigantinPerson.(ProceduresandterminologymaydifferinScotland,WalesandNorthernIreland.)

YoushouldbeawarethatIAmNotALawyer(IANAL).Ihavenoformal‘legal’qualifications,noranyexperienceingiving‘legal’advice.Ihavenomoneyandnoinsurancetocoveryouifyoulosemoneythroughfollowingthisguide.

UsinganyoftheinformationinthisdocumentisAtYourOwnRisk.ThisdocumentdoesnotconstituteLegalAdvice.Youareentirelyresponsibleforanyuseyoumakeofthisdocument.

Ihaveattemptedtoprovidesomeusefultipsandpointstoconsider,buttheinformationmaybeincorrect,lackingdetailand/ornotrelevanttoyoursituation.Ifconsideringlegalaction,Irecommendyouobtainprofessionallegaladvice.ThisdocumentisNOTasubstitute.

Iwrotethisguidesolelytogivedisabledpeopleanideaofhowtheymighttakelegalactionondisabilitydiscrimination.Ihavenotsolicitedorreceivedanyfinancialorotherincentives;Ijusthopethatsomeonemightfindsomeoftheinformationuseful.

Inotherwords,donotsueMEplease.Idonothaveanymoneyanditwouldmakemestressed

Ihavesetupawebpagetoaccompanythisguide,athttps://legal.kingqueen.org.uk.Itcontainslinkstoforms,guidanceandofficialinformation,andcopiesoftemplatesandexampledocuments.

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2. WHYTHEEQUALITYACT?

Disabledpeopleinthe1980sand1990sfoughtforanti‐discriminationlegislation.ThisresultedintheDisabilityDiscriminationAct(1995),whichwasthenreplacedbytheEqualityAct2010.

Itgivesdisabledpeople(peoplewhohaveaphysicalormentalimpairmentthathasasubstantialandlong‐termimpactontheirabilitytodonormalday‐to‐dayactivities)fourveryusefulrights.Serviceprovidershaveobligations(withafewexceptions):

Nottodiscriminateagainstdisabledpeople(nottotreatthemlessfavourablyforareasonrelatedtotheirdisability.)

Nottoindirectlydiscriminateagainstthem(whereapractice,policyorruleappliestoeveryonebuthasaworseeffectondisabledpeoplethanonotherpeople.)

Tomakereasonableadjustmentstophysicalfeaturesandtoany“provision,criterionorpractice”thatmakesitimpossibleorunreasonablydifficultfordisabledpeopletoaccesstheservice.

Toprovideauxiliaryaidstoenabledisabledpeopletoaccesstheirservices(e.g.ahearinglooporaramp,informationinlargeprintetc.)

Ithasbeenestablishedthroughpreviouscasesthat"thepolicyofthe(EqualityAct)isnotaminimalistpolicyofsimplyensuringthatsomeaccessisavailabletothedisabled:itis,sofarasreasonablypracticable,toapproximatetheaccessenjoyedbydisabledpersonstothatenjoyedbytherestofthepublic."

Toooften,discriminationinprovisionisinterpretedasaCustomerServiceIssue.However,itisn’t,it’stheLaw.Ithinkitwouldbeagoodthingifmorepeoplewereabletouseitandenforceit.

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3. WHYUNREPRESENTED?

TheEqualityActhassomeflaws.

Themajorone,inmyview,isthatonlythosewhoarediscriminatedagainstcanenforceit.Sodisabledpeople,whoarealreadydisadvantagedbythebarrierstheyfaceinsociety,aretheONLYpeoplewhocantakelegalactiontoenforcetheirrights.ThePolice,Counciloranybodyelsewillnottakelegalactionfordiscriminationyouhaveexperienced–onlyYOUcan.

Takingacaseinvolvesliteracy,headspace,perseverance,acertainacademicaptitudeetc.notallofwhicheverybodyhasorcanspare.

Nowadays,it’salmostimpossibletofindmoneyforlegalrepresentation(i.e.solicitorsetc.)ThankstotheGovernment,theLegalAidsystemisonitsknees,andeven“NoWinNoFee”solicitorsstruggletotakeonEqualityActcasesduetopoorlythought‐outchangesinfundingrules.

Thisiswhyserviceprovidersroutinelyrideroughshodoverourrights:theycangetawaywithitwithimpunityassofewpeoplecantakeaction.

HOWEVER,thisisalsoanadvantagetothosefortunatefewwhocantakecaseswithoutrepresentation.Ithinkthatwewhocantakeactionoweittothosewhocannottostandupforourlegalrights.

TheorganisationyouareabouttosuewillprobablyneverhavefacedEqualityActcasesbefore,especiallynotinserviceprovision.Solicitorsreallyhateworkingwithunrepresentedpeople,otherwiseknownasLIPs(LitigantinPerson.)LIPscanoftenbemuchmoredirectinwhattheysayanddo.

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EventhoughtheEqualityActisflawed,Ithinkitisimportanttouseandenforceitasmuchaspossible,oritwilllosethelittleinfluenceithas.It’sprettymuchtheonlybitoflegislationwecanuse.It’sveryempoweringtotakesuchcases.Itforcespositivechangefordisabledpeople.

Thebestbit?It’snotasdifficultorscaryasyoumightthink.Muchoftheactionconsistsofrun‐of‐the‐millformfilling,whilstnegotiatingbehindthescenes.Nearlyallthetime,settlementisreachedwithouthavingtogotoahearing–thecourtprocessfocusesserviceprovidersmindssomewhat!Evenifthecasedoeseventuallygotoahearing,therisksareusuallysmallandit’snottoodifficultorstressful.

CartoonbyCrippen/DaveLuptonCartoons:

http://www.crippencartoons.co.uk/

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4. RISKS

TherearealwaysRisksinanylegalaction.Inmostcases,therisksconstitutelosing,andbeingforcedtopaytheotherside’scosts.

However,therisksareusuallyminimalwhentaking“genuine”casesundertheAct,forthefollowingreasons.

NearlyeverycaseissettledbyanOutofCourtagreementbetweenthetwoparties,beforeitgetstoaFinalHearing.

YouhavetoloseinCourtbeforeyouhavetopaycosts. EqualityActcasesarenearlyalwaysallocatedtothe“SmallClaimsTrack”astheyaregenerally“lowvalue”.

IntheSmallClaimsTracktheserviceproviderisexpectedtobeunrepresented(likeyou)(thoughtheyneverare),sorulesstateonlyminimalcostscanbeawarded(say:busfaresandlostearningsforthetrial).Innearlyallcases,theirsolicitors’costsareNOTrecoverablefromyouevenifyoulose.

Judgesdon’tautomaticallyawardcostsagainstyouifyoulose.Theothersidemustapplyforit,andtheJudgehastomakeadecision.

Ifyouarebehavingtotallyunreasonably–suinganorganisationforsomethingyouhavemadeup,forexample–thenyou’reputtingyourselfatrisk.(Anddisabledpeoples’reputation,ofcourse.)

Ifyouarebeinggenuine,withopen‐and‐shutcases,thenwhilstthereisatheoreticalriskofcosts,myexperienceisthattheriskisminimal.(SeemydisclaimerinSection1,mindyou…)

Thereareothercosts.TheCourtProcesscanbelongandstressful(months.)YoumayhavetoberobustinyourdealingswiththeOtherSide.Theprocessisadversarialbydesign.Theymaybenastyortheremaybenastypublicity.Thepotentialmentalhealtheffectsofthisshouldnotbeunderestimated.

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5. COURTFEES

ItcostsmostpeoplemoneytotakeactionthroughtheCourts.

EXEMPTIONS

Somewillbeexemptfromfees.IfyouareonanIncomeRelatedbenefit,orverylowpay(lessthan£1,085grosspermonthifsingleor£1,245asacouple,plus£245perchild,asof2017)andhavenosavingsover£3,000(asof2017)it’sfree.(Peopleearningalittlemoremaygetsomehelptowardsthefee.)Youcanapplyonline(puttheresultingreferencenumberonyourclaimformetc.)oryoucanfillinFormEX160(seemywebsite).Youhavetodosowhenstartingtheclaimandeverytimetheyaskformoney.

IFYOUDOHAVETOPAY...

Sadly,thismaymakeitimpossibleoruneconomicaltotakelegalaction.However,ifyouknowadisabledpersonwhodoesnothavetopay,getthemtoexperiencethesamediscrimination(e.g.goingtothesameinaccessibleshop)andtheycansueforfree.

IfyoudopayCourtfeesandyouwin,theothersidemustrefundthecourtfeesyoupaid.Ifyounegotiateanout‐of‐courtsettlement,youcanspecifythattheyrefundyouforthefees.

ThefollowingfeesarecorrectasofNovember2017.CourtleafletEX50givescurrentfees(seewebsite).(Usethecolumnfor“Courtissuedclaim”inEX50.)Notethatthecasemaybesettledoutofcourtatanypoint(andusuallyis,sometimesbeforestarting!)soyoumaywellnothavetopaytheHearingFee.

StartingtheClaim–o Ifyouaskforaninjunctionand/oradeclarationaspartofyourclaim(seeChapter11)it’s£308.

o Ifyouareclaimingmoneyonly,thefeedependsonhowmuchyouarepreparedtolimityour“damages”

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(compensationpaidtoyou.)(Youwillnotreceivelessthan£500ormorethan£10,000damages‐see“Damages”sectionformore.)

o Damages ClaimStartFee

£500‐£1,000 £70£1,000‐£1,500 £80£1,500‐£3,000 £115£3,000‐£5,000 £205£5,000‐£10,000 £455

HearingFee–between£80and£335againdependingonhowmuchyou’rehopingto“win”(NB:you’llmostlikelyhavesettledbythenandnothavetopaythis)

Applications,e.g.togettheirdefencestruckout(anadvancedtacticyouprobablywon’tuse)‐£255



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6. FLOWCHART

Atanypointinthefollowing,youortheDefendantmaymakeanagreeableOutOfCourtOffer,abortingtherestoftheprocess.Don’tworryaboutthejargon–Iexplainbelow.

What Who When FormsActofDiscrimination Defendant LetterBeforeAction(LBA)andSubjectAccessRequest(SAR)

You AssoonaspossibleafterDiscrimination

Negotiation You/Def. StartClaim(IssueinCourt)

You 2+weeksafterLBAreceived,within6monthsofdiscrim.

N1,EX160

NoticeofIssue Court Whenthecourtgetsroundtoit

AcknowledgementofService

Defendant Within2weeksofNoticeofIssue

Negotiation You/Def. Defenceserved Defendant Within 4weeksof

NoticeofIssue

Negotiation DirectionsQuestionnaire

YouandDefendant

WhenCourtgetsroundtoit,andwithintimescalesetbyCourt

N180/N181

Negotiation NoticeofAllocationandofHearing

Court WhentheCourtgetsroundtoit

HearingFee/exemption

You WithindeadlinesetbyCourt

EX160

Negotiation CourtHearing You/Def.

/CourtAtpre‐setdateandtime

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7. ACTOFDISCRIMINATION

Aserviceproviderdiscriminatesagainstyouif:

theymakeitimpossibleorunreasonablydifficultforyoutouseanaspectoftheirserviceforareasonrelatedtoyourimpairment;or

theiruniversally‐appliedprocedureshaveadisproportionateimpactonyoubecauseofyourimpairment;or

(thisisthemainone)theyhavefailedtomake“reasonableadjustments”toeither:o theirpremisesoro theirprovisions,criteriaorpractices(PCP)

thusmakingitimpossibleorunreasonablydifficulttousetheirservice;or

theyhaven’tprovidedanauxiliaryaid(e.g.ahearingloop)

TheyhaveanAnticipatoryDuty.Thismeansthattheymustconsidertheaccessproblemsofdisabledpeoplewhendesigningandimplementingtheservice,notjustwhenyouaskforit.Forexample,theymightberequiredtobuildarampforawheelchairuserinadvance,ratherthanwhenawheelchairuserturnsupatthedoor;ortheymayhavetohaveamenuinlargeprintavailable.

Youmusthangyourcaseoffonespecificinstance.Thiscanbeproblematicwherediscriminationisongoing,e.g.alocalshopthatyouroutinelycannotaccess.Inthesecircumstances,youcanstartlegalproceedingsatanypoint,e.g.youcouldissueaboutthelasttimeyoutriedtoaccesstheshoporwouldhavedonehaditbeenaccessible.

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8. LETTERBEFOREACTION

Assoonaspossibleaftertheactofdiscrimination,youshouldwriteaLetterbeforeActionandsendittotheorganisationthatdiscriminatedagainstyou(thedefendant).YoushoulddoitASAPsoyoucanrememberallthedetailsyoumightforgetmonthsdowntheline,butalsobecausethereisadeadlineof6monthsfromthedateofdiscriminationtoissuethecaseinCourt.

Youcanlookupthedefendant’saddressontheCompaniesHousewebsiteorelsewhere.Iusuallyemailtheletter.

Thelettershouldcontainthefollowing:

Yourcontactdetails Atitlealongthelinesof“LetterbeforeActionforDisabilityDiscrimination”

Whatyourimpairmentis(Iwrite“Iamawheelchairuserwithaneurologicalcondition”)

Whathappened,pointbypoint,inchronologicalorder Howtheiractionswerediscriminatory Whatreasonableadjustmentstheyshouldhavemade Howtheirfailuretomakethesereasonableadjustmentslimitedyourabilitytousetheirservices

Whateffectthediscriminationhadonyoupersonallye.g.humiliation,inconvenience,anger(sayithowitisasthisdetermineshowmuchmoneytheywilleventuallygiveyou)

Anyfinancialloss ArequestthattheyacknowledgeyourLetterpromptly Astatementthatiftheydonotanswertoyoursatisfactionwithintwoweeksyouwillissueincourt.Mystandardtext:

PleaseindicatesafereceiptofthisLetterbeforeAction.Pleaserespondtoitinfullwithin14calendardays‐thatis,by(date)‐otherwiseIintendtoissueinCourtforadeclaration,aninjunctionanddamagesforinjuriestofeelings.

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Whatyouwantthemtoagreetoavoidcourt.Mystandardtextfollows:Don’tworryabouttheVento/Da’Bellbit,itisn’tstrictlynecessaryandisposturing,albeitaccurateposturingIhaveexampleLettersbeforeActiononmyaccompanyingwebpage;https://legal.kingqueen.org.uk.



Toavoidlegalaction,youwouldhavetoprovidetheequivalentIwouldbeentitledtoinCourt.

Thatwouldincludeanopenacknowledgementthatyouhavediscriminatedagainstme,alegalundertakingtoensurethisdoesnothappentomeagainandcompensationequivalenttodamagesforinjuriestofeelingscommensuratewiththeprecedentssetbyVentoandamendedbyDa’Bell.

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9. SUBJECTACCESSREQUEST

YoushouldwritethisatthesametimeastheLetterbeforeAction,orinthesameletter.(Therearetwoexamplesonmywebpage,https://legal.kingqueen.org.uk.)ItisanEvidence‐Gatheringprocess.Itcanalsoencouragetheothersidetosettle,asitsometimesforcesbossestotakeyou/thesituationseriously.

Youhavetherighttoseeallinformationanorganisationholdsaboutyou,subjecttocertainexemptions.ThisincludesCCTVofyou,andemailsorothercorrespondenceaboutyousentto/from/betweentheirstaff.Youshouldwriteto,emailorfaxtheorganisationstatingwhatinformationyouwant.Youcouldsay:“Alltheinformationyouholdonme,makingsureitincludes...”

WhenrequestingyourimagesonCCTV,saywhereyouwereandwhen,andgiveadescriptionofyourselfand/oraphoto.

Forittobevalid,youdon’thavetosayit’saSubjectAccessRequest,ortosendittotheirDataProtectionofficer,butyoumightaswellasitmayhelpifyoudo.

Hereismystandardrequest:

Theymaywritebackandlegitimatelyinsistyousendthemachequefor£10forthisinformation.It’sgenerallyworththecost.Theymayalsotrytoignorethisrequestorclaimthattheinfowillcomeoutinthe“disclosure”process.Theyareincorrect:yourrightstoyourpersonaldataareirrespectiveofcourtaction.

BythisletterIam(also)makingaSubjectAccessRequestundertheprovisionsinSection7oftheDataProtectionAct.Pleasesupplymewithalldatayouholdaboutme.PleaseensurethisincludescopiesofallCCTVcoveragetakenofmewhilstIwasin(thestore),andallemailsbetween,toorfromyourstaff.PleasecomplywiththerequirementtorespondtomySubjectAccessRequest"promptlyandinanycasewithin"thelong‐stopof40calendardays.

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10. POSTURINGANDNEGOTIATION

INFORMALNEGOTIATION

Thedefendantswilllikelyhavesolicitorsrepresentingthem.Theymaybepleasantorunpleasant,competentorincompetent.

Bothsideshavetomakeitapparenttotheothersidethattheyknowwhattheyaredoingandthattheyareseriousaboutit.Dependingonthedefendantandtheirrepresentative,theremaybemore(orless)bravado,persistenceetc.required.

Theotherside’ssolicitormayinitiallynottakeyouseriously.Theymaywriteandtrytobrowbeatyouintodroppingthecase–“weconsideryourcasehasseriousflawsandverylowprospectofsuccess”–ortheymaytrytofrightenyouoffwithestimatesoftheircosts.

Theymaytrytoblindyouwithscience(well,law!),oritmaybecomeapparentthattheyhavewrittenyouoffas“tryingiton”ornotknowingwhatyouaredoing(theygenerallyarenotusedtoempoweredLitigantsinPerson!)

Sometimestheycangetquitepersonal.Thiscanbebruising.

Youhavetosticktoyourguns,tellthemclearlythatyouaredeadlyserious,youwillfollowthisthroughtotheendtoachievejustice,andthatyouknowwhatyouaredoing.(Evenifyouareactuallyabitshakyandwillhappilynegotiateasettlement!)

ConvincingthemofthismayencouragethemtomakeanofferofOut‐of‐courtSettlement,oryoucanmakeanoffer.Courtslikepartiestodothis,becauseitisoftenmoresatisfactoryallroundifbothsidesreachagreement.

ThroughoutthewholeCourtprocess,therewillbecommunication–formalorinformal–betweenyourselfandthe

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otherside.Thiscanoccuratanyandeverypoint.Youcanreachan“outofcourt”agreementuptoandevenduringthehearing.

Suchcommunicationisusually“withoutprejudicesaveastocosts”.ThisjustmeansthatneitheryounortheycanrefertoitinCourt.(“Saveastocosts”isnotrelevanttoSmallClaimscases.)

Agreementscanbegreat,butmakesureyouarenotcompromisingyourselfbyacceptinglessthanyouwant.Ifyouwantanenforceablepromisethattheywillchangesomething,insistonit.

Oftenorganisationswantsuchagreementstobesecret(viaa“non‐disclosureclause”)toavoidbadpublicity.Thiscanbeausefulbargainingcounter,butitisgoodtobeabletopubliciseittomakethewiderpoint.Youwillhavetodecidewhetheryouwanttoholdoutforanopenagreementyoucanpublicise.Inthemajorityof“my”cases,Ihaveagreedtonon‐disclosure;butothershavemorenegotiationguts…

FORMALNEGOTIATION

You,theJudgeortheothersidemaysuggestmediationorother“AlternativeDisputeResolution”.Thisisalmostinvariablyagoodidea.Ihavehadseveralsuccessfulcasesthroughmediationandconciliation.

TheCountyCourtoffersafreesmallclaimsmediationservice.Thisisbytelephone,thoughifyoucan’tusethephoneorwouldbeatadisadvantagewhenusingit,youcaninsistonitbeingface‐to‐face.Ittakesanhour,andisusuallysuccessful.

Therehavepreviouslybeenotherusefulservices,butmanyhavebeenavictimofthecuts,andthosethatremainarenotfree.Seemywebsiteforlinks.Youcantrytoinsistthattheothersidepaysforthemediationorconciliationservice.

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11. DAMAGES

Whennegotiating,youshouldcitewhattheJudgecoulddecideyoushouldgetifyouwonincourt.Theso‐calledremediesare:

adeclaration(apublicstatementthattheydiscriminated;)

aninjunction(anorderforcingthemtodosomething);

anddamagesforinjurytofeelings(cash!)

Courtsveryrarelygiveadeclarationorinjunction,butthedamagesandanypublicityoftendetertheothersidefromdoingitagain.

Youcaninsistonequivalentstotheremedieswhennegotiatingasettlement.Forexample,youcouldinsisttheypubliclystatethattheydiscriminated,andwritealegallybindingundertaking(promise)nottodosoagain.

It’snotpossibletotakeadisabilitydiscriminationcasewithoutbeingawardeddamagesifyouwin,evenifyouinsistononly£1.Youmaydecidetogoformore,ashittingorganisationsinthepocketcanbeagreatpersuader(andthemoneywillbenice.)

Thescaleofdamageshasbeensetinemploymentdiscriminationcases.TheyarecalledVentobands(afterVentovsChiefConstableofWestYorkshirePolice),butasVento’scasewasmanyyearsagothey’vesincebeenincreasedbyDa’BellandbySimmons.

Thelowerbandisforlessseriousactsofdiscrimination.Awardsarebetween£660and£6,600.

Themiddlebandisforcaseswhicharemoreseriousbutdonotcomeintothetopband.Theseawardsarefrom£6,600to£19,800;butyouwillneverclaimmorethanthemaximumfortheSmallClaimsTrack,whichis£10,000.

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Thetopbandisforthemostseriouscasessuchaswheretherehasbeenalengthycampaignofharassment.Thisisn’trelevanttoyourcaseasdamagesareabovethe£10,000limitforthesmallclaimstrackandthereforeriskcosts.

Inaddition,thejudgeinPurves(Purvesv.JoydiskLtd[2003])setaprecedentthat:

“£750istheleastthatmaynowadaysbeawardedfortheveryslightestinjurytofeelings,deservingofdamages,whichiscausedbydiscriminationonthegroundofdisability.”

Withinflation,thatequatestoabout£1,100asof2017.



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PUBLICITY

YoumaywanttoconsideraPublicityStrategy.IncasesItakewithoutlawyers,Iusuallydon’twantpublicity.Ijustwantanadmissionthattheydidwrongandtheproblemsortedforthefuture,formeandotherdisabledpeople(andanymoneyIgetisaniceextraofcourse).

Duringtheprocessitself,Ithinkit’susuallybestnottopublicisethecaseasbydoingsoyouareescalatingthesituationandlosingabargainingangle.It’sillegal(sub‐judice)todosobetweentheNoticeofHearingandtheHearing.TheremaybeaplaceforpublicityAFTERsettlementtoachieveawiderchange.Apromisenottopublicisethecasecanbeagreatbargainingpoint.

FORMSOFAGREEMENT

Youandtheothersidecanformaliseagreementsby:

aletter(beforeyouissueincourt);

aletteranda“NoticeofDiscontinuance”(asimpleform(N279)tostopcourtactionwithoutajudgment,whichyoufillinandposttotheCourtandtothedefendants);

asignedcontract;or

a“Tomlinorder”(anopenagreementstampedbyajudge.)

Whichyouuseisunimportant;theothersidewillchoosebasedonhowparanoidtheyareandwhetheryouagreedtonon‐disclosure.Youshouldaccepttheotherside’schoice,unlessit’sclearlyunsuitable.Gettheothersidetodothework,includingdraftingdocuments–they’relegallytrainedandgettingpaid!–butchecktheyhaven’tsneakedinanythingyouhaven’tagreed.

CheckmywebsiteforexampleNoticesofDiscontinuanceandTomlinorders:https://legal.kingqueen.org.uk.

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12. STARTINGTHECLAIM

CLAIMFORM

AssumingyouhavenotreachedagreementwithintwoweeksofyourLetterbeforeAction,youshould“Issue”theclaiminCourt.YouneedtocompleteaClaimForm,theParticularsofClaim,andeitheraclaimforhelpwithfeesoracheque.

TheClaimFormisFormN1.LikeallCourtforms,it’savailableonline.Seemywebsitefortheblankformandexamples:https://legal.kingqueen.org.uk.

Onceyouknowwhichbitsyoucanignoreandthestandardtexttouse,itisremarkablystraightforward.IusuallytypeasmuchasIcan,butyouwillhavetoprintitout,crossbitsoutandsignit.

Topright:“Inthe”write(ortype)“CountyCourtat”(townname).Youcanissueinanycountycourt,butItendtousemynearest.Asyou’readisabledLitigantinPerson,thejudgewillgenerallyagreetoyourchoiceandmaketheothersidetravel.(Notallcourtsareveryaccessible–worthcheckinganyaccessneedsontheCourt’swebsite.)

Leave“Feeaccount”,“Claimnumber”and“Issuedate”blank. Youaretheclaimantsoputyourname,“AnIndividual”andaddresswhereitsays“Claimant’snameandaddress...”

Thebodyyou’resuingisthedefendant.Putthedefendant’sname,whattypeofbodyitis(e.g.“ACompany”),anditsaddresswhereitsays“Defendant’snameandaddress...”

For“BriefDetailsofClaim”writethis:

IwasdiscriminatedagainstbythisserviceproviderforareasonrelatedtomydisabilityandIamseekingadeclaration,aninjunctionanddamagesforinjurytofeelings.

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A“Declaration”isaformalstatementbyaJudgethattheDefendantdiscriminatedagainstyou.An“Injunction”isalegallybindingorderthattheymustnotbehavelikethatagain.Damagesareyourcompensationin£.(IfyouarenotseekingaDeclarationoranInjunction,justsay“…andIamseekingdamagesforinjurytofeelings”)

For“Value”write“Iexpecttorecovernotmorethan”thenenterthemaximumyouareclaiming.IfyouareexemptfromCourtfeeswrite£10,000(thelimitfortheSmallClaimsTrack.)Ifyouhavetopayfees,writethemaximumamountyoucanclaimgiventheClaimStartfeeyoucanafford(e.g.£1,000ifyoucanonlyaffordtopay£80.)(SeeChapter5.)

WriteinyourpreferredCourtHearingCentre.Itisusuallythesameoneyouhavewritteninthetopright.

WritetheDefendant’snameandaddressagaininthebox. Leave“AmountClaimed”blank,asyouhavenotsetaspecificamount.(TheJudgewilldecidetheamount,unlessyouagreeanamountinanout‐of‐courtsettlement.)

Ifyouhavetopayafee,putthisintherelevantbox;otherwiseleaveitblank.Youdon’thavelegalrepcostssoleavethatandtheTotalbothblank.

Onthereverse,ignoretheClaimNumberanddonotticktheHumanRightsActbox.

Crossout“ToFollow”soitreads,“ParticularsofClaimattached”.Leavetheboxempty.(ThereisneverenoughroomtowritetheParticularsinthebox;itisalwaysbesttowritethemseparately.)

Crossout“TheClaimantBelieves”and“I’mdulyauthorised...”,enteryournameandsignthedeclarationas“Claimant”.(Crossout“litigationfriend”andsoon.)

Ignorethelastbox.

That’stheclaimformdone!

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13. PARTICULARSOFCLAIM

Ideallytypethese,buthandwrittenisOK.Thesearenotcomplicated;don’tbeover‐awed.UseA4paper.Therearesomeexamplesonmywebpage,https://legal.kingqueen.org.uk.

Atthetopofeverypage,write:“IntheCountyCourtat(X),(YourName)vs.(Defendant’sName)‐ParticularsofClaim”

Atthebottomofeachpageput“PageXofY”(youdon’twantthemtoloseanypages!)

TheParticularsmustbeinnumberedparagraphs. TheParticularsjustrestateyourLetterbeforeAction(LBA).Youcanprettymuchcopyandpastemuchofitfromthat.

IalwaysstarttheParticularsasbelow.Youshouldadjustyourstomeetyoursituation.Makesureyouincludeyourimpairment,thedefendant’sstatusandtheirdutynottodiscriminate.

1. Iamadisabledperson;afulltimewheelchairuserwithcareneedsasaresultof(X).IamdisabledasdefinedwithintheEqualityAct2010(theAct)S6.

2. ThedefendantisaserviceproviderwithinthemeaningofS29oftheAct.

3. ThedefendantisunderadutynottodiscriminateagainstdisabledpeopleunderS15oftheAct.

4. ThedefendantisunderadutytomakereasonableadjustmentstoitsphysicalfeaturesandtoitsProvisions,CriteriaandPracticesunderS21oftheAct;includingthedutytochangeanyprovision,criterionorpracticethatmakesitimpossibleorunreasonablydifficultfordisabledpeopletousetheirservices,andthedutytotakewhateverstepsnecessarytoprovideauxiliaryaidsrequiredfortheuseofdisabledpeople.

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Thenadd:

Step‐by‐stepdetailsofwhathappenedtoyou,andwhyitisdiscriminatory(copyfromyourLetterBeforeAction(LBA))

Wheretheclaimrelatestoafailuretomakeareasonableadjustment:o thedutywhichtheserviceproviderisinbreachof(i.e.thedutytomakechangestophysicalfeaturesortoaprovision,criterionorpractice);

o howtheyareinbreach(e.g.therearestairsonly,andnoramp);and

o howthatbreachmakesitimpossibleorunreasonablydifficultforyoutousetheservice.(copiedfromtheLBA)

Detailsofanycomplaintsmadebyyouandtheirdates(includingyourLBA),howtheserviceproviderresponded(oriftheydidn’t,sayso)andwhyyou’restillnotsatisfied

Detailsofhowtheserviceprovider’sbehaviouraffectedyou(again,sayithowitis,asthiswillaffectanycompensation:includeanyanger,distress,lossofconfidenceetc.)

Attheendoftheparticularsofclaimyoumustincludethefollowing“StatementofTruth”:

‘Ibelievethatthefactsstatedintheseparticularsofclaimaretrue’

SignanddatetheParticularsimmediatelybelowtheStatementofTruth.

DART


14. SENDTOTHECOURT

Ifyouareexempt,eitherapplyforHelpwithFeesonlineandputtheresultingreferencenumberontheclaimform,orgothroughFormEX160meticulously,fillitallinandsignanddateit.(Seemywebsiteforlinkstoforms,https://legal.kingqueen.org.uk.)

Ifyouarenotexempt,writeachequepayableto“HMCourts&TribunalsService”fortherelevantissuingfee(seeEX50).

Assemble:

ThreecopiesoftheClaimForm;

ThreecopiesoftheParticularsofClaim,and

yourcheque(ifyou’renotexempt).

Checkthatyouhavesignedanddatedallbitswhererequired.

PutthemallintooneenvelopeandposttoTheManageratthecourtyou’vechosen.(SendittoaCountyCourt,nottheHighCourt/CrownCourt/MagistratesCourt/CountyCourtMoneyClaimsCentreoranyother.)

Thenpatyourselfontheback...andwait.

BEWAREACOMMONCOURTSERVICEERROR

CourtstaffhandleveryfewEqualityActclaimsandareoftenrustyabouttheprocedures.ManyclaimantsfindthatthelocalCourttellsthemtheyshouldhavesenttheclaimtotheCountyCourtMoneyClaimsCentre(CCMCC)inSalford.

Theyareincorrect.IfyouhaveclaimedaDeclarationoranInjunction,youhavetosendittoalocalcourt.

Youmayhavetochallengethembyquoting“PracticeDirection7Aparagraph4A.1(1)(b)”whichstatesclaimscanonlybesenttotheCCMCCifit“isaclaimonlyforanamountofmoney.”

DART


15. NOTICEOFISSUEANDACKNOWLEDGEMENTOFSERVICE

WhentheCourtgetsroundtoit,whichcanbedaystoafewweeks,youwillgetaNoticeofIssue(intinyprint)sayingyourclaimwasissuedonXdate,itwaspostedonXdate,itisdeemedservedonXdateandthedefendanthasuntilXdatetoreply.

ItwillalsohavetheClaimNumberonit.Thisisimportant,asyoumustquotethisnumberonallcorrespondenceandforms.Itwillalsohavealotofotherirrelevantbumfonit.

Withinthefirsttwoweeks,theDefendantwillsendyouandtheCourtan“AcknowledgementofService”.Theydothatbecauseitgivesthemanextra14daystowriteandsendtheirdefence.

TheAcknowledgementhasboxesforthedefendanttostatetheyintendtodefendAlloftheclaim,Someofit,orAdmittheclaim.

EverydefendantALWAYSsaystheyintendtoDefendtheWholeClaim,eveniftheydon’t.Idon’tknowwhytheCourtServiceincludesdifferentboxes,becausethedefendantnevertickstheotherboxes.TheAcknowledgementisjustaformalitytogivethemmoretime.Don’tworry,theirstatementthatthey“intendtodefendthewholeclaim”doesn’tmeanathing.

Thisisprimeposturingtime,bytheway.Negotiatewiththeothersidebyemail,letterorphone,attemptingtoreachan“outofcourt”agreement(thoughdon’tletthemthinkyouwillletthemgetofflightly!)Iftheyhavenotstartedthecommunications,youshouldstart–perhapsbymakinganoffer.

DART


16. DEFENCE

Unlessyoureachanout‐of‐courtagreement,theDefendanthastofile(sendtotheCourt)andserve(postand/oremailtoyou)theirformalDefencewithin28daysofthedateofdeemedservicestatedontheNoticeofIssue(orwithin14daysiftheyforgottodoanAcknowledgementofService.)

Ifyougettothatdeadlineandhavenothadtheirdefence,fillinthe“RequestforJudgment”bitoftheNoticeofIssueandtakeittothecourtquick!Preferablydeliverthistothecourtpersonally,bytaxi,carorbus‐youmayjustwinthecourtcasewithouthavingtodoanythingelse!Otherwise,sendinadvanceby1stClassPosttoarriveonthedaytheDefencewasdue.

Morelikely,however,isthatyouhaveeitherreachedagreement,oryouarestillintheprocessoftryingtoreachanagreementandtheyhavesubmittedaDefencewhilstyouarestillnegotiating.

Youwillneedtoreadtheirdefence,seewhatyouthinkofitandstartpreparingrelevantcounter‐arguments.(Bepreparedforyourbloodpressuretoriseasyoureadit...)



DART


17. DIRECTIONSQUESTIONNAIRE

Assumingyouhavenotsettled,theCourtwillsendyouandtheDefendanta“NoticeofProposedAllocation.”Hopefullyitwillsay“SmallClaimsTrack”,butitmightsay“FastTrack”.Youwillbetoldtofillin“DirectionsQuestionnaire”FormN180orN181respectively.

Don’tworryifyourNoticesays“FastTrack”;thisisonlytheirproposal,andyoucanusuallygetitchangedtoSmallClaims.

Therearetwokeythingsyouwanttoachievewiththisform.

YouwantitallocatingtotheSmallClaimsTrack(thisiscrucialoryouriskbeinghitwiththeotherside’scostsifyoulose.)

Youwanttoensureanyhearingdatemissesanypre‐bookedholidays,hospitaladmissionsetc.(plusanywitness’sdatesifyouhaveone.)

IfyouhaveFormN180,youarelucky,anditisaformality.N181isalittlemorecomplicatedastheyaresuggestingtheyallocatethecasetothe“FastTrack”,notthe“SmallClaimsTrack”.Someofthequestionsaremorecomplicatedasaresult,andyouneedtopersuadethemtochangetotheSmallClaimsTrack.

Followwhicheverofthefollowingrelatestotheformyouhavebeengiven.Thereareexamplesandlinkstoblankformsonmywebsite,https://legal.kingqueen.org.uk.

DART


DIRECTIONSFORMN180

WritetheCourt,theClaimNumber,yournameandselect“Claimant”.

Ifyouarecomfortable,tickthatyouarepreparedtogotoSmallClaimsMediation(aformalformofnegotiationwhichIhavefoundgenerallyworks.)

Addyourcontactdetails. TicktoagreeitshouldbeintheSmallClaimsTrack. Statewhichcourtcentreyouwantittobeatandwhy.(Practicalitiesandaccessaregoodreasons.)

YouarenotplanningtouseanExpert. Thereisatleastonewitness(you!).Ifyouhavemore,addthem.

Listthedatesyou(oranywitness)cannotdo. Ifyouneedaninterpreter,statehere–butwriteseparatelyaskingtheCourttoprovideit,particularlyifit’saBSLinterpreter,palantypistorsimilar.(TheCourtServiceisaserviceproviderboundbytheEqualityActtoo,thoughtheydonotalwaysrealiseorrememberthis!)

Signit,andpostore‐mailitbacktotheCourtbeforethedeadlinesetinthe“NoticeofProposedAllocation”,andsendacopytotheDefendant.

DART


DIRECTIONSFORMN181

YouhaveabitmoreworktodoiftheCourthassentyouthisform.YoumustgettheallocationchangedtotheSmallClaimsTrack(orsettleordropthecase)asiftheCourtallocatesittotheFastTrackitisaveryseriouscase,youneedrepresentationandyouwillbehitbytheotherside’scostsifyoulose.

Fillintheclaimnumber,“CountyCourtatX”,yournameandselect“claimant”.

A:Ticktosayyouwanttosettle,butticktosayyoudon’tneedamonth’sstay.

B2:Statewhichcourtcentreyouneeditheardinandwhy(practicalitiesandaccessaregoodreasons).

C:Donottickeitherboxbutwrite,“Thereisnopre‐actionprotocolforcasesundertheEqualityAct.”

D1:Youprobablyhavenotmadeanyapplications;youwillknowifyouhave,otherwisesaytherearenotany.

D2:CRUCIAL:WritethatyouthinkitshouldbeintheSmallClaimsTrackandwrite,“PleaseseeSectionIforreasons”.

D3:Ignorethis. E:Ticktosaytherearenoexperts. F:Writeyournameasthewitness,andwrite,“ThefactsstatedintheParticularsofClaim.”Ifyouhaveotherwitnesses,addthem.

G:Trialtimeestimate–tickLessthan1dayandwrite4hours(guideline–mostcasesarelessthanthis)

H:ignorethis(leaveitblank) I:Youareprobablynotplanninganyapplications.

InthebigboxunderI,youneedtostatewhyyouthinkthecaseshouldbere‐allocatedtotheSmallClaimsTrack.Youcancopyandpastethefollowing,orwritesomethingsimilar.

DART


J:YoucouldasktheothersidetowriteDraftDirections,butiftheydon’t,Isuggestusingmytemplatefromhttps://legal.kingqueen.org.uk.Theyarenotcrucial.

Signanddatetheform,andaddyourcontactdetails.

PostoremailthequestionnairebacktotheCourt,andsendacopytotheDefendants,beforethedeadlinesetinthe“Notice”.

IsuggestandrequestthiscasebeallocatedtotheSmallClaimsTrackforthefollowingreasons.

ThemajorityofEqualityActcasesforDisabilityDiscriminationareheardusingtheSmallClaimsTrack.

Idonotenvisagetherebeinganyexpertwitnesses,ormanywitnesses.

Thefactsinthecasearenotsubjecttomajordispute.

Iamclaiminglessthan£10,000.OnthebasisoftheVentoguidelinesasamendedbyDa’bell,Idonotenvisagerecoveringmorethanthat.

Iamunrepresented,alitigantinpersonandadisabledpersonwithverylimitedresourcesandenergy.

Iamunabletoaffordprofessionalrepresentation,ortoattainrepresentationthroughotherchannels,duetochangesinlegalfundingrules.Currentlegislationmakesiteconomicallyunfeasibletogetrepresentedforequalitylegalaction.Seehttp://bit.ly/equaljustice2014.

Iamunabletoaffordthedefendants’feesifIlose,andunabletoaffordthepremiumforinsurancetocovertheircosts.

Therefore,shouldthisclaimbeallocatedtoanyothertrackthantheSmallClaims,Iwillbedeniedaccesstojustice.

IonlyissuedoutofdesperationafterthedefendantfailedtorespondadequatelytomyLetterBeforeActionortodealwithmyconcerns.

Thisisanimportantissuethatdeservestobeheard;ifitisallocatedtoanyothertrack,itwillnotbe.

DART


18. DISCLOSURE&OTHERPRACTICALITIES

Onceyouhavesenttheallocationsquestionnaireoff,youwilleventuallyreceiveinstructionsfromtheCourtbypost.

NOTICEOFTRIALDATE

SometimestheyjustprovideyouwithNoticeofTrialDate,andtellyoutopaytheHearingFeebyacertaindate.YoushouldsendaHelpwithFeesreference/form,oracheque(ouch).

DIRECTIONS

SometimestheyissueanOrder(i.e.aJudge’sinstruction)givingalistofpracticalitiesyoumustperform.Theorderisgenerallyveryclearandeasytofollow.“Serve”simplymeanspostoremailtotheotherside.“File”meanspostoremailtotheCourt.(ChecktheCourtfortheire‐filingemailaddressifyouwanttofilebyemail.)

Ifyoudon’tunderstandtheOrder,oryoucan’tcomplywithpartofit,oryouarenotabletomakethedeadline(e.g.duetoillnessorholiday),writetoand/oremailtheCourtassoonaspossibletoexplainoraskforclarification.TheCourtsaremoreflexibleandhelpfulwithpeoplewhoareupfrontwiththem.

DISCLOSURE

“Disclosure”meanstellingtheCourtandtheothersidewhatrelevantdocumentsyouhave.

TheJudgemaytellyoutosendtheotherside(andtheCourt)alistofallthedocumentsthatmayberelevantorthatyouwanttorefertoinCourt.(Theothersidewillalsohaveto.)Youcanthenasktoseeanyofthedefendant’sdocuments,andtheycanasktoseeyours.(SometimestheCourtdoesn’tbotherwithalist–theytellyoutosendcopiesofalldocuments.)MakesureyousenditbeforethedeadlinesetintheOrder–putitinyourdiary!

DART


WITNESSSTATEMENTS

Ifyouareunlucky,theJudgemaytellyoutoserve“WitnessStatements”byacertaindate.(Thisiseasy,thoughapfaf.)Youwillneedtodooneyourself.(Mystatementsarealwaysveryshort,theysimplystatethatthefactsinmyParticularsofClaimaretrue.)

Youmaywantanotherwitnesstogiveastatementaboutwhathappenedortheeffectithadonyou.IftheyaretospeakatanyHearing,youmustgethimorhertowriteastatement;buteveniftheycan’tattendinperson,awrittenstatementfromasupportivewitnessisuseful.GivethemanA4templatedocumentalreadysetupasfollows.(Seemywebsiteforanexampletemplate.)

Atthetopofeachpage,includetheHeading:“IntheCountyCourtat[town],Claimnumber[number],[yourname](Claimant)vs[EvilCompanyLtd](Defendant)”.

Atthetoprightcornerofthefirstpage,write“WitnessStatementforClaimant[yourname]by[witness’sinitialandsurname,ifit’syourstatementthisisyou!];thenumberofthestatementfromthatwitness(almostcertainlytobe1)(e.g.“Statement1ofMrAWitness”)andthedateinfigures.

Thestatementmustbeinnumberedparagraphs. Thefirstparagraphshouldread“I(fullname)of(address),Claimantinthiscase,[omitifnotneeded][occupationordescription]makethisstatementfrommyownknowledge.”(Description:Iput“disabledperson”,“carer”…)

Insubsequentparagraphs,thewitnessshouldstatewhathappened.Chronologicalorderisusuallybest.

Attheend,write“Ibelievethatthefactsstatedinthiswitnessstatementaretrue.”

Thewitnessshouldsignimmediatelybelow,thenunderneathwritetheirfullname,andthedateinfigures.

Numberallpagesatthebottom“PageXofY”–toensuretheydon’tgoastray.

SendthemtotheCourtandtotheDefendantbeforethedeadline.

DART


19. THEFINALHEARING

Itisveryrarethatcasesgetthisfar.Ofthe40+Ihavetakenmyself,perhapsfourreachedaface‐to‐facefinalhearing;Isettledeveryotherthroughout‐of‐courtoffersormediation.

NEGOTIATE

Youshouldcontinuetonegotiatewiththeotherside,rightuptothehearingifnecessary.Casesoftensettlequiteliterallyatthedoorofthecourt.

Ifyoudon’tsettle,youwillhavetomakeadecision:eitherwithdrawyourcase(viaformN279‐NoticeofDiscontinuance)orproceedtotrial.

NB:unlesstheothersideisbehavingpig‐headedlyandrefusestoseetheobvious(whichdoeshappenquitefrequently!),thefactthedisputehasgoneallthewaytotrialMAYbeanindicationthatyourcaseisnotstrongenough,orthattheirdefenceistoogood.

Thinkseriouslybeforecarryingon–butdon’tgiveupifyouthinkyouarerightandcanwin.

DART


BEFORETHEHEARING

Don’tbeovernervous.Youhavetobepreparedandontheball,buthearingsintheSmallClaimsTrackarerelativelyinformal.TheJudgewillbeusedtohelpinglitigantsinperson.

Beforetheday,makesureyoulettheCourtknow(inwriting)aboutanyaccessneeds(wheelchairaccess,hearingloop,informationinalternativeformatsetc.)Re‐readallthepaperwork.

Ontheday,wear“smartcasual”comfortableclothes.(Thereisnoneedforathree‐piecesuit!).Ensureyoutakekeydocuments.Leavemultitools/SwissArmyknivesathome(apainforwheelchairusers,butCourtsecurityconfiscatesthem.)

ArriveattheCourtatleasthalfanhourbeforethehearing(preferablymuchmore)toallowtimetogetthroughsecurity(youmaybesearched),tofindwhereyouaregoing,toensureyouraccessneedsaremet,andtoattemptfinalnegotiationwiththeotherside.TurnyourmobileFULLYOFF(notjustonsilent)

Registerwiththe“Usher”onarrival.(Askatreceptionifneedbe.)

Identifytheotherside’srepresentativesandconsidertryingtonegotiate.Mostcourtshaveprivateroomsyoucanusetoprepareyourcaseornegotiatewiththeotherside–asktheusher.

MostcasesareheardintheJudge’schambers(poshnameforhis/heroffice)butsomewillbeheardinacourtroom.Therewillbehearinglistsonanoticeboardinthewaitingarea,givinghearingtimes,rooms,theclaimantanddefendant’snames,andthenameoftheJudge.TheJudgeisnearlyalwaysaDeputyDistrictJudge(DDJ)oraDistrictJudge(DJ),bothproperlyaddressedinCourtas“Sir”or“Madam”.(It’sveryunusualforittobeaCircuitJudge,buttheyare“YourHonour”.)

Itisrare,butnotunheardof,forthepublicorpresstoattend.

DART


THEHEARING

Youwillbetakenintotheroom,andthejudgewilleitheralreadybethere(nodpolitelytohim/her)orwillbeusheredin.

JudgeshavewidediscretiononhowtheyrunSmallClaimshearings,buttheywilloftenfollowastandardformat.Ifso,(s)hewillaskyoutopresentyourcase,thentheoppositionwillgivetheirs.Theremaybetheopportunitytoquestioneachother(andwitnesses,ifthereareany),and/ortheJudgemayaskhis/herownquestions.Bothsidesmaythensummarise.

FollowtheJudge’sdirections,anditwillbefine.(Honestly.)Itisanervysituation,butmostjudgesareveryunderstandingofthisandwanttomakethingsaseasyaspossibleforeverybody.Ifyouneedabreak,somewater,orhaveanyotheraccessneeds,ask.

Trytoraisethingsinaclear,logicalorder:

YourstatusasadisabledpersonundertheEqualityAct Theotherside’sstatusasaserviceproviderundertheAct Whathappened Howtheserviceyoureceivedwasworsethanthatanon‐disabledpersonwouldreceive

Whatdutytheothersidehasfailedtocomplywith:o Thedutynottodiscriminateo Thedutynottoindirectlydiscriminate(whererulesorprocedureshaveadisproportionateimpactonyouasadisabledperson)

o Thedutytomakereasonableadjustments: Tophysicalfeaturese.g.buildings Toprovisions,criteriaorpractices

o Thedutytoprovideauxiliaryaids Theimpactofthediscriminationonyou(anylossorinconvenience,andanyemotionaleffecte.g.anger.)

DART


THEJUDGMENT

Onceeverybodyhasfinished,theJudgemayleaveforashortperiod,orhe/shemayjustlaunchstraightintothejudgment.

He/shewillgo“roundthehouses”.Theywilldescribethefactsofthecase,summarisethesituation,andsummarisebothsides’arguments.Itwillbealengthyspielevenforstraightforwardcases.(Iamsuretheydothisjusttouptheanticipation!)Theywilleventuallydescribetheirjudgmentonthevariousissues.

IfyouhavewonANYofyourpoints,youhavewonthecase;youdon’thavetohaveproventhemall.Thejudgewillthenstatewhatcompensationyoushouldbeawarded.(Ihaveneverknownthemawarda“declaration”oran“injunction”,eventhoughIhavealwaysappliedforone.)

Ifyouhavelost–badluck.Takeitonthechin.Don’ttrytoappeal;orifyoudo,seekprofessionallegalrepresentation.

Thejudgewillthenaskifthereis“anythingelsehe/sheneedstodeterminetoday”.Thismeanstwothings:thelosingpartymayaskforpermissiontoappeal(asIsay,don’t!)andthewinningpartycanapplyforcosts.

Ifyou’velost,staygingerlysilent,hopingnothingissaidaboutcosts(whichwillbeminimal)–butifyouwin,youcanaskfortransportcosts,lostearningswhileyou’vebeeninCourt,yourcourtfees(unlessyouwereexempt),andnothingelse.

Afewdayslateryouwillreceiveacopyofthejudge’sOrderstatingjudgmentfortheclaimantorforthedefendant,and(ifyouhavewon)theamountofcompensation.TheDefendantmustsendyouanycompensationwithintwoweeksoftheorder.

Patyourselfonthebackforforcingaprovidertotaketheirobligationsseriously!

Ifyouareanythinglikeme,youwillthentakeonanothercase...

DART


20. ADVANCEDTACTICS

Thefollowingshouldn’tbenecessaryandshouldn’tmakeanydifference.Youcansafelyignorethissectionandstillconductthecasewithoutanyissuewhatsoever.However,sometimestheposturinginherentinthefollowingtacticsforcestheothersidetoreconsider,andmayimproveanyout‐of‐courtagreement.

APPLICATIONTOSTRIKEOUTTHEDEFENCE

Youcanapplyforthedefencetobe“struckout”(sothedefendanthastowriteanewoneoryouwinbydefault).Thebasismustbeoneormoreofthefollowing:

Thedefencedisclosesnoreasonablegroundsfordefence. Thedefenceisanabuseofcourtprocessesorisotherwiselikelytoobstructthejustdisposaloftheproceedings.

Thedefendanthasfailedtocomplywitharule,practicedirectionorcourtorder.

Ifyouthinkoneoftheabovecouldbetrue(forexample,thedefencecontainsfactswhich,eveniftrue,arenotalegallyrecognisabledefence)youmaychoosetoapplyforthedefencetobestruckout,evenifyoudon’tthinktheapplicationwillbesuccessful.(Itisveryunlikelytobesuccessful–strike‐outsareextremelyrare.)Thismaybringthefollowingadvantages:

It’sposturingonyourpart,jarstheothersideandmaymakethemtakeyoumoreseriously

Therewilllikelybeapreliminaryhearingtodeterminewhetherthecaseshouldbestruckout.Thiscanbehandytodiscussthehandlingofthecaseetc.

UseApplicationNoticeN244,sendacopytotheothersideandacopytotheCourtwithafeeexemptionclaim,orthefee(£255asofSeptember2017,checkthecurrentfeeinEX50).

DART


REQUESTFORFURTHERINFORMATION

Knownasa“Part18request”(afterPart18oftheCivilProcedureRules),thisallowsyoutoformallyasktheDefendantquestionsonissuesrelevanttoyourcase.Perhapsusethisafteryouhavehadtheirdefence,ifyoufeelthereisinformationofrelevancethattheyhavenotdisclosed.Theyhavetorespond,unlessyourquestionsareridiculous(don’tsendridiculousquestions,itwilljustweakenyourposition.)Intheoryiftheydon’trespond,youcanapplytotheCourttoenforceyourrighttothisinfo–butIhaveneverdonethis.

Senditinwriting–IusuallyuseEmail,butletterandfaxwoulddo.Don’tincludeanythingelse–theemailshouldjustcontaintherequest.

StateintheSubject(orthetopoftheletter)thatthisisarequestforinformationunderPart18oftheCivilProcedureRules.

GivethenameoftheCourt,thecasenumber,andthetitleofyourcase–i.e.(yourname)(Claimant)vs(evilcompany)Defendant

Innumberedparagraphs,setouteachspecificrequestforinformationorclarification

Statewhentheymustrespondby–thishastobeaReasonablePeriod.AReasonablePeriodisgenerallytwoweeks.

Onoccasion,thedefendantmaysendyouarequestforinformation.Itisstraightforwardtoanswer–justbefactual.Ifyouthinkaquestionisunnecessarilyintrusive,irrelevantorvexatious,youcanrefusetoanswerit.

CheckmywebsiteforanexampleRequestandaRefusal:https://legal.kingqueen.org.uk

DART


PART36OFFERTOSETTLE

Thisisaformalwayofmakinganout‐of‐courtoffer.ItistheoreticallynotrelevanttotheSmallClaimsTrack;however,theothersidewillbeusedtothisprocedure,whichcanbeuseful.

Inothertracks,insomecircumstancesPart36offerscanmaketheothersideliableforcoststheywouldnototherwisehavetopay.Theyarethereforeausefulbargainingtactic.

EithersidecanputinaPart36offeroroffers(youcansendmorethanone).Thisputspressureontheothersidetosettleorfaceconsequences.Inthesmallclaimstracktherearen’tanyconsequences,buttheothersidedon’talwaysrealisethis.

YoucanuseFormN242Aforthis,butyoudon’thaveto.Ifyoudon’twanttousetheform:

Sendtheoffertothedefendantbyemailorlettercontainingonlytheofferandnoothercorrespondence.(Sendanyothercorrespondenceseparately.)

WriteatthetopthatthisisaPart36offer. Statethattheofferisopenfor21days(thelegalminimum),oruntilthedateofthehearingifthatissooner.

Statethisofferisinrespectofthewholeclaim. Statethetermsofyourofferclearlyandsuccinctly,innumberedparagraphs.

IhaveexamplesofPart36Offersmadeusingtheformandbyemailonmywebsite,https://legal.kingqueen.org.uk

DART


ASSESSORS

TheCodeofPractice(seemywebsite)says:

90% of the time the Court and the defendants aren’t aware of this rule, or choose to ignore it. This is probably just as well, as the Court Service generally has no idea how to find such a person; and as I’ve never known an assessor help (in the one case that we did have one.)

If the hearing isn’t going well or you want to stop the hearing so you can negotiate more, or put pressure on the other side by making them spend time attending multiple hearings, you can use this as an “ace card”.

Ask the Judge (politely) “Where’s the mandatory assessor?” You will usually have to prove to the Judge that one is mandatory, as they usually don’t know this. Take a copy of the Code or Practice with you (on your Kindle or similar perhaps, it’s quite big to print out!) and the Equality Act s.114(7) & (8) (which says the same as the Code but in more difficult language) and give it to the Judge.

He/she may be annoyed and ask you why you haven’t raised this before – but you’re the Litigant in Person and it’s not your duty to tell the Court its legal duties!

14.14. In cases about unlawful acts a judge or sheriff (in Scotland) will usually have to appoint an ‘assessor’ to assist him or her. These are persons of skill and experience in discrimination issues who help to evaluate the evidence. The Act says that unless the judge or sheriff is satisfied that there are good reasons for not doing so, they must appoint an assessor.

14.15. It would not be a good reason that the court believes itself capable of hearing the issues in the case without an assessor or that having an assessor would lengthen proceedings.

DART


“IDON’THAVEANYMONEY"

Aspreviouslynoted,defendantssometimestryandscareclaimantsoffbyclaimingthatifyoulose,you’llbeliablefortheirsubstantiallegalcosts.Theycommonlydosobyphrasessuchas“Wereservetherighttobringyourrefusaltoacceptourout‐of‐courtoffertotheattentionoftheCourtwhenitcomestocosts”‐ortheycanbealotmoredirect.Theymayservealistoftheir“costs”inlegaltimeetc.onyou,oftencalleda“PrecedentH”,andthesecostscanbescaryandmassive(tensofthousandsofpounds.)

You’regoingtogetthecaseallocatedtothesmallclaimstrack,sotheywon’tgettheircostsanyway,soyoushouldresistsuchbullyingtactics,butanotherusefultacticIhaveusedalotistocalltheirbluff.Ifyouhavenomoney,itcanbeausefultactictosaytothedefendant:

Noteverybodyisinthisposition–peoplewithmortgagesandfamilieswouldbemuchlessabletostatetheabove,Ishouldimagine–butifyoucansaytheabovewithallhonesty,it’sagreattactic.Itreallydeflatesdefendantsandwrong‐footsthembecauseitdisarmsoneoftheirmain“weapons”/scaretactics.Theyareunlikelytohavecomeacrossanybodyelsewhohassaidthistothem.Itcanmakethemsuddenlymuchmoreconducivetosettlingthecase.

“Idon’thaveanymoney.Evenifyouwinthecase,youwon’tgetanymoneyoffmebecauseIdon’thaveanyanditwouldcostyoufarmoretomakemebankruptortakeothersuchactionthanyouwouldeverrecoverfromme.Iamthereforenotputoffbyyourthreatofcosts,anditisinyourintereststosettlethiscaseasexpeditiouslyaspossible.”

DART


21. CONCLUSION

Don’tlistentopeoplewhoaccuseyouofdoingitforthemoney,orlookingforcasesyoucanfight–theyarejustbitteratyouturningthetables,assertingandenforcingyourrights.

IwishyouluckinyouruseoftheEqualityActforthebenefitofdisabledpeople.Ithinkyoushouldbeapplauded.

If you need an alternative format, contact me using the

form on my website, https://contact.kingqueen.org.uk (Sorry,Ihateformstoo,butIhatespammore…)

NB:IamNOTabletoprovidelegalorotheradviceaboutyoursituation;ifyouneedlegaladvice,pleasecontacttheCitizensAdviceBureau,yournearestLawCentreorasolicitor.

Currentdocumentversion:1.7,September2017

Copyright©2017DougPaulley.Somerightsreserved.

ThisworkislicensedundertheCreativeCommonsAttribution‐NonCommercial‐ShareAlike4.0InternationalLicense.Toviewa

copyofthislicense,visithttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by‐nc‐sa/4.0/

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