Part 1: Tribunals and Inquiries Schedule 3 “Judicial Review” Sections 15 to 21
122.Tribunals currently have no powers of judicial review. Sections 15 to 21 create a statutory regime which enables the Upper Tribunal to exercise judicial review powers in appropriate cases. This will allow the parties to have the benefit of the specialist expertise of the Upper Tribunal in cases similar to those with which the Upper Tribunal routinely deals in the exercise of its statutory appellate jurisdiction. These provisions do not alter the inherent or statutory jurisdiction of the High Court (as amended by section 141), except as a result of the amendments made by section 19.
123.There will be two situations in which the Upper Tribunal will be able to use these powers in cases arising under the law of England and Wales or of Northern Ireland. The first is where a direction has been made by the Lord Chief Justice or his delegate with the agreement of the Lord Chancellor, specifying a class of case to be dealt with by the Upper Tribunal rather than the High Court. The second is where the High Court orders the transfer of an individual case because it considers it just and convenient to do so in cases arising under the law of England and Wales or of Northern Ireland (but it will not be possible for cases to be transferred to the Upper Tribunal if they involve immigration or nationality matters).