Mr D Justice v J B Hopkins Limited — 2022

The claimant, Mr D Justice, did not attend the hearing in Southampton on 12 October 2022. The Employment Judge accepted that an incorrect ACAS Early Conciliation number on the claim form was caused by an error and held that it was not in the interests of justice to reject the claim, so the Tribunal had jurisdiction to consider it. The Tribunal also decided not to postpone the hearing of its own motion and proceeded in the claimant's absence.

The respondent applied to strike out all claims under Rule 37(1)(d) of the Employment Tribunal Rules, but that application was refused. The Tribunal then heard evidence from the respondent and closing submissions. The judgment identifies three claims before the Tribunal: an automatic unfair dismissal claim under section 100(1)(a) Employment Rights Act 1996, a detriment claim under section 44(1)(a) Employment Rights Act 1996, and a wrongful dismissal claim.

After considering the evidence and submissions, the Tribunal dismissed all claims. The judgment does not record any remedy award, and no separate compensation figures are set out for any individual claim.