The Chief Adjudicators deal with complaints about the personal conduct of adjudicators both inside and outside the context of a hearing.
Personal misconduct may include, but is not limited to:
- Discrimination;
- Inappropriate behaviour and comments, including rude or offensive remarks;
- Unacceptable delay in giving a decision;
- Not fulfilling duties (e.g. failing to meet sitting requirements);
- Misuse of judicial status (e.g. using status as an adjudicator for personal gain);
- Professional Misconduct, as found by a professional body;
- Criminal Convictions received since appointment but not disclosed.
The Chief Adjudicators cannot consider any complaint about a decision made by the adjudicator on your case or the way in which your case has been handled. Examples of what cannot be investigated are:
- Complaints about the decision made by the adjudicator in your hearing;
- Complaints about case management decisions (e.g. whether to adjourn a case, whether to allow the public into a personal hearing);
- Complaints about the adjudicator’s interpretation of the law;
- Complaints about claims the adjudicator made about the quality of evidence;
- Complaints about the adjudicator’s decision on whether costs should be awarded and at what level;
- Complaints about the decision to grant or refuse a review application;
- Complaints about adjudicators who no longer hold office (e.g. retired or resigned);
- Complaints about the actions/conduct of someone else (e.g. Traffic Enforcement Centre or Tribunal staff);
- Complaints about reasonable adjustments.
Download the guidance for complaining about an Environment and Traffic adjudicator (if your appeal was about a penalty charge issued for a parking, bus lane, moving traffic, lorry control, waste receptacle or littering contravention)
Download the guidance for complaining about a Road User Charging adjudicator (if your appeal was about a Congestion Charging, Low Emission Zone or Ultra Low Emission Zone penalty)
If you want to challenge the adjudicator’s decision, under limited circumstances you may be able to seek a ‘review’ or apply to the High Court. More details can be found here for appeals before the Environment and Traffic Adjudicators or here for appeals before the Road User Charging Adjudicators.
If your complaint relates to the administrative service that supports the tribunal - such as a complaint about the quality of customer service you received, it will be investigated in line with London Councils’ complaints procedure, which can be found on the London Councils website.
ALL complaints should be addressed to the Head of Support Services in the first instance. Please see our contact page for contact details.