Tribunal wants plain English
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• The Transport Tribunal, which hears appeals against licensing authority decisions, has publicly criticised the wording of '0' licence environmental legislation introduced in the 1982 Transport Act.
Its 1986 report, recently laid before Parliament, expands on similar complaints in its 1985 report: "The words and phrases used, and their order, are so far removed from those ordinarily spoken or written by men and women, even on very formal occasions, as to frequently require interpretation by lawyers, who in turn find themselves in great difficulty," says the Tribunal.
This is despite Parliament's intention that the licensing authorities' hearings should be conducted without the intervention of lawyers.
The Tribunal says it is satisfied that its 1985 comments have been fully considered by the Department of Transport — but adds that "there is no sign of amending legislation."
The Tribunal's jurisdiction was extended to PSV operators in September 1986. Three new members were appointed to handle the additional case load, but no PSV appeals were received during the rest of the year. Of the 24 goods operator cases dealt with, five appeals were allowed, five were referred back to the LA and 14 were dismissed. Half the 24 appeals involved environmental considerations: the report does not break these down by results.