Local Government Act 2000

78 Decisions of [F1the First-tier Tribunal or] interim case tribunals.E+W

(1)[F2In adjudicating on any of the matters which are the subject of an interim report, the First-tier Tribunal or an interim case tribunal] must reach one of the following decisions—

(a)that the person to whom the recommendation mentioned in section 65(3) or 72(3) relates should not be suspended or partially suspended from being a member or co-opted member of the relevant authority concerned,

(b)that that person should be suspended or partially suspended from being a member or co-opted member of the [F3relevant authority concerned ] for a period which does not exceed six months or (if shorter) the remainder of the person’s term of office.

[F4(2)If the decision of [F5the tribunal concerned] is as mentioned in subsection (1)(a), the tribunal must give notice of its decision to the standards committee of the relevant authority concerned.

(3)If the decision of [F6the tribunal concerned] is as mentioned in subsection (1)(b), the tribunal must give notice to the standards committee of the relevant authority concerned stating that the person concerned is suspended or partially suspended for the period, and in the way, that the tribunal has decided.

(3A)The effect of a notice given under subsection (3) is to suspend or partially suspend the person concerned as mentioned in subsection (3).]

F7(4). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5)A decision of an interim case tribunal under this section shall not prevent [F8 the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales] from continuing with the investigation under section 69 which gave rise to the interim report concerned and producing a report under section 71, or a further interim report under section 72, in respect of any matters which are the subject of the investigation.

(6)The suspension or partial suspension of any person under this section shall not extend beyond the day on which a notice [F9is given by virtue of section 78A or 79] to the standards committee of the relevant authority concerned with respect to that person.

(7)A copy of any notice under this section must be given—

(a)to any person who is the subject of the notice, and

(b)to the monitoring officer of the relevant authority concerned.

[F10(8)Where the person concerned is no longer a member or co-opted member of the relevant authority concerned, but is a member or co-opted member of another relevant authority—

(a)the references in subsection (1) to the relevant authority concerned are to be treated as references to that other authority,

(b)the references in subsections (2) and (7)(b) to the relevant authority concerned are to be treated as including a reference to that other relevant authority,

(c)the duty under subsection (3) to give notice to the standards committee of the relevant authority concerned is to be treated as a duty—

(i)to give that notice to the standards committee of that other relevant authority, and

(ii)to give a copy of that notice to the standards committee of the relevant authority concerned.

(8A)Subsection (8) does not apply unless—

(a)where the relevant authority concerned is in England, the other relevant authority is also in England,

(b)where the relevant authority concerned is in Wales, the other relevant authority is also in Wales.]

(9)[F11The First-tier Tribunal or (as the case may be)] an interim case tribunal must take reasonable steps to inform any person who made any allegation which gave rise to the investigation under section 59 or 69 of its decision under this section.

[F12(9A)Where a person is suspended or partially suspended under this section by a decision of the First-tier Tribunal, the person may appeal to the Upper Tribunal—

(a)against the suspension or partial suspension; or

(b)against the length of the suspension or partial suspension,

(unless the decision is set aside under section 9 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007).

(9B)An appeal may not be brought under subsection (9A) on a point of law (as to which see instead section 11 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007).

(9C)An appeal may be brought under subsection (9A) only if, on an application made by the person concerned, the First-tier Tribunal or Upper Tribunal has given its permission for the appeal to be brought.

(9D)In any case where the Upper Tribunal is determining an appeal under subsection (9A), section 12(2) to (4) of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (proceedings on appeal to the Upper Tribunal) apply.]

(10)[F13Where a person is suspended or partially suspended under this section by a decision of an interim case tribunal, the person] may appeal to the High Court—

(a)against the suspension or partial suspension, or

(b)against the length of the suspension or partial suspension.

[F14(11)An appeal may not be brought under subsection (10) except with the leave of the High Court.]