The House of Lords has this morning issued its judgment in 'Gillies' - the case relates to the question of whether an appeal tribunal's decision could be said to be erroneous in law, on the ground of apparent bias, because the medical member of the tribunal was an Examining Medical Practitioner who at that time regularly provided reports used in benefit assessments by the DWP.

Appeal dismissed (ie "we" lost)!

Full decision is available @ http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldjudgmt/jd060126/gillie.pdf

A summary will be available in rightsnet news within the next few minutes.

.... a summary of the judgment is now available in rightsnet news @

EMPs as medical members on tribunals: House of Lords judgment in the Gillies case

Interesting use of words, the fair minded observer should be able to realise there is no biase. But weren,t the people who brought the action fair minded and informed and they percieved biase.I hope this goes to the higher court IE the European courts.

The comments given in CSDLA/444/02 by Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw Bt QC are appropriate. They appear to make sense to those who are not fair minded and are not informed. Do I sound disappointed? I sincerely hope that this goest to the higher court.