Court
Treasury to Appeal Ruling
Geoffrey Boot and Martyn Perkins were both awarded £33,778.50
The Treasury is to appeal against an award given to two former MHKs by an employment tribunal.
Geoffrey Boot and Martyn Perkins were both awarded £33,778.50 by the employment and equality tribunal in November.
After a bid to get the tribunal to reconsider its ruling failed, the Treasury has decided to push on with an appeal to the courts.
A spokeperskon said: ‘After a period of reflection and following legal advice including from specialist Counsel, the Treasury has taken the decision to appeal the recent Employment and Equality Tribunal judgment regarding resettlement payments for two unsuccessful MHK candidates at the 2021 General Election.
‘Treasury considers that there are important matters of law to clarify in relation to this decision, not only in reference to the immediate claim but also the potential consequential effects.
‘Where significant expenditure of public funds is involved concerning MHK benefits and equality aspects, as well as the status of Tynwald legislation, appeals are justified where there are perceived substantial legal principals in question and a significant level of public interest.
‘The potential costs incurred by the appeal are considered as proportionate in these circumstances.’
The appeal will go before a Deemster at Douglas Court House for a directions hearing, before a hearing date is set in due course.
Following the 2021 election, in which the former MHKs were unsuccessful in securing re-election, the men were informed that due to their age, they would not be receiving the usual payout.
That payment, made under the Resettlement Grant Scheme, provides that if a member under 60 years of age who has served at least two years is unsuccessful in seeking re-election to either the Keys or the Council, he or she will be paid the equivalent of six months’ basic salary.
The tribunal, chaired by Douglas Stewart, agreed that the pair had been discriminated against and duly ruled in their favour.
Tynwald has since changed the rules on the resettlement scheme, which would mean that, under the new rules, Mr Boot and Mr Perkins would have received the money.
