Dear Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland),

As is my understanding, NI is the only place in the UK wich does not allow legal aid for Employment Tribunal cases.

1.Please outline which year that was decided, and which person/people decided it.

2.Please outline the reasons which were given and which are currently given, for this decision

3.Please outline how many times the DFE have been approached to review and reverse this decison.

4. Please outline why this has been ignored and who has made the decison to ignore it.

5.As Mr Lyons (minister) is not answering myself, how does DFE suggest I request that this is again reviewed for consideration and how will DFE hear how this affects me personally, who should I contact on this matter within DFE?

6.Does DFE understand that within the link :
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013...
(The Employment Tribunals (Constitution and Rules of Procedure) Regulations 2013)

The Overriding objective of number two reads:
"The overriding objective of these Rules is to enable Employment Tribunals to deal with cases fairly and justly. Dealing with a case fairly and justly includes, so far as practicable—

(a)ensuring that the parties are on an equal footing; "

Can DFE explain how the claimant within a case, with little money, no lawyer, no legal degree, No legal understanding, no barrister, can have an "equal footing" when s/he is asserting her/ his legal rights and how can he/ she get a fair hearing under his/her Human Right to a fair hearing (article six)

(Please dont suggest the LRA or Advice NI, when neither of these orgs can give leagl advice or represent anyone. Also, please don't refer to the LCNI, because the amount of cases they actally represent in court is tiny and in terms of prep for a case, hundreds of hours, they do not have the resources.)

7.why did DFE who fund LCNI stop funding it for Health law cases and when does LCNI intend to fund LCNI for health cases in the future?

Yours faithfully,

Joan Corrigan