Mrs J Meese v Rotherham College of Arts & Technology — 2019

On 30 September 2019 Employment Judge Little Date refused the claimant's applications dated 18 July 2019 and 18 August 2019 for reconsideration of the judgment sent to the parties on 09 September 2015. The judge held that the applications were almost four years outside the 14-day time limit for reconsideration and that there was no basis for extending time under rule 5 of the Employment Tribunals Rules of Procedure.

The claimant explained the delay by reference to crises in her life after the February 2015 merits hearing, but the judgment records that she had nevertheless been able to bring later victimisation proceedings. On that basis, the judge found she could also have made a timely reconsideration application, and refused an extension of time. The respondent was invited to comment but did not do so.

The judge also found that the applications had no reasonable prospect of success. The judgment says the interests of justice require finality, and that the claimant's attempt to revisit the merits judgment, and in substance the costs judgment made on 21 August 2015, four years later was an abuse of process.