Claimant v Oxford Summer Courses Limited
Outcome
Individual claims
The claim was struck out under Rule 47 for the claimant's failure to attend the hearing despite multiple attempts by the tribunal to contact them, and alternatively under Rule 38 for failure to actively pursue the claim and failure to comply with tribunal orders made on 20 May 2025 and 12 August 2025.
Facts
The claimant's claim centered on a disputed email allegedly sent on 02 July 2024, the authenticity of which the respondent challenged. The claimant had deleted the relevant email account during the course of litigation after being made aware that authenticity was a central issue. The claimant failed to attend two preliminary hearings (12 August 2025 and 17 December 2025), failed to comply with tribunal orders to provide witness statements and medical evidence, and ceased communication with the tribunal from 11 August 2025 until the morning of the final hearing.
Decision
The tribunal dismissed the claim under Rule 47 for the claimant's failure to attend the hearing on 17 December 2025, despite the tribunal delaying proceedings for two hours and making multiple attempts to contact the claimant. In the alternative, the claim was struck out under Rule 38 for failure to actively pursue the claim and failure to comply with multiple tribunal orders.
Practical note
Claimants who fail to attend hearings, ignore tribunal orders, and do not actively pursue their claims risk dismissal or strike-out even where they provide last-minute explanations for technical difficulties on the day of the hearing.
Legal authorities cited
Statutes
Case details
- Case number
- 6013329/2024
- Decision date
- 17 December 2025
- Hearing type
- strike out
- Hearing days
- 1
- Classification
- procedural
Respondent
- Sector
- education
- Represented
- Yes
- Rep type
- barrister
Claimant representation
- Represented
- No