Good luck for tomorrow Tribunalgoer! Go get 'em!

[KickassLAfighter]

TG - want to wish you all the best for the Tribunal tomorrow. I will be thinking of you!

Go get 'em!!!

Pants!
You must be exhausted and frustrated that its still not over.
The Panel will recognise drivel I am sure.
And...they have to read the bundle so your case is all there. It might have felt rushed on the day but they will have read it and if the panel had questions they would have asked them.
But take your own advice in these situations - take the weekend off and down a few glasses.
I'm sure you did your DS proud.

Blimey TG it sounds like a tortuously presented case. Rest assured, courts/tribunals usually see through froth and mirrors and note poor practice even if they don't comment on it publicly.

How frustrating for you but thank God that is ticked of your list and that it wasn't as personally vitriolic or upsetting as you feared.

Sorry that it was so rushed. Hope you have a restful weekend.

Sorry to hear this.. Hope you have an okay weekend ..

Big hugs

TG, so sorry to hear that the LA used dirty tricks at the Tribunal hearing.

The one thing I dreaded more than anything was having an adjournment!

The LEA have had MONTHS to provide costings! So it must have been deliberate tactics, or if not, huge incompetence.

I too found the whole experience strangely "flat" after the months and months of work preparing for it. It all felt very rushed, and I had very little opportunity to get my case across until the end of the day.

So I just have to trust that the Panel really do read the ALL of the Bundle...

But I am left with nagging doubts that I didn't say enough....I was trying so hard to appear reasonable and nice and not jump down the LEA's witnesses throats...

But of course, I won't know until we get the decision. The waiting is terrible! Keep pouncing on the post every morning!

At least when you go back before the Panel, you will have the advantage of knowing what to expect.

Look after yourself this weekend and then mentally "re-group".

gutted for you, Tribunalgoer. If you win, I would hope that you would add this to your maladministration LGO complaint and ask for compensation for all the months that they should have been paying for the ABA. But I know that's no consolation now. Bastards.

I think that you can't ask one to do something that another one can do, but you can (I think) ask the LGO to consider the conduct of the LA in forcing (and forcing the adjournment of) a tribunal that shouldn't really have happened. Does that make sense?

Hi TG

It doesn't sound as though you had a very fair hearing at all with little to know time to put your case.

So the LA lawyer's main strategy was filibustering - pathetic!

Is there not a case here for an appeal? I don't know what that route is - JD perhaps?

I find it quite disgusting that the LA resorted to such underhand tactics. Surely their must be some recourse?

I suppose you'll now be on tenetrhooks until the decision is announced.

I feel for you.

Well, there isn't reaslly such a thing as filibustering in courts. It is the tribunal's responsibility to keep things on track and to advise the parties if they are running out time and to admonish them for not asking for a longer slot.

It must have been very clear after lunch that the case was not going to conclude that day. These things should never take a bench by surprise, no matter how inexperieneced the chair as they do have advisors.

To be honest, with the evidence to be submitted and the live witnesses, I am extremely surprised that the tribunal thought it could ever have dealt with this in one day.

You might want to challenge the listing of it. How many live witnesses were supposed to give evidence and how much documentary evidence was supposed to be submitted. It sounds like the time estimate was way out.

A friend with a recent Tribunal listing of a total of 5 live witnesses had an estimate of 3 days and was nowhere near as complicated as the ABA argument.

Tribunalgoer, you sound utterly gutted and deflated . Please remember that you are doing your part. The battle isn't over, but you are fighting well.

Oh, that does sound a bit more positive I particularly like the written submission bit. You can hardly pretend you didn't write the words, now, can you?

Why did they get nasty? Don't they get that you're doing what parents have to do?

I can't understand how it was originally only listed for one day though TG. it was clealry going to take more time than that and offering a second day months later is no good answer.

I really feel your frustration but if it is any comfort, pointless, nasty questions don't usually get you anywhere. As an advocate in that situation, I would be hugely respectful of you as a mum and praise all your fabulous efforts but just play the misguided waste of resources issue.

Don't imagine that Tribunals fall for bluster and rambling arguments either. They get irritated by it and probably spend their life wading through the crap raised by LAs

But it doesn't save costs if they wrongly list a hearing as it escalates them. Two friends have had 2-3 day hearings listed recently. I'm not doubting what you've been told but the Tribunal seeing the evidence list and issues, should have challenged the time estimate at the beginning of the day.

Also, I understood that the panel is advised through proceedings. The panel should have been helped to advise advocates to pick up the pace and stick to the points in dispute. That is the point of live evidence.

You were dealt with very badly.