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Appeals and Courtrooms

This is a question for members who have been through the appeals process. Are the public allowed in ? Is it a Courtroom set up, or an informal office set up. I want to prepare myself. I feel like a criminal defending myself, just waiting is bad enough. Don't they realise or care what this does to people ?
Any help would be much appreciated, thank you in advance.
If you fight, you won't always win. But if you don't fight you will always always lose.
Replies
The general public are allowed in. In fact it is even suggested to some claimants that they go along to a hearing to see for themselves how it all works.
There is only one court in Britain for which traditionally the public are not allowed access. The Family Court. All of the others including Tribunals are open to public scrutiny unless ordered closed by the Judge due to the type of case being heard or who the witnesses are.
2 - the make up of the tribunal panel varies depending on the benefit and the type of appeal. There is not and never has been a “scribe” @zakblood. A tribunal judge takes notes which form the record of proceedings.
3 - the presence of a judge does not make the hearing a court hearing @Threesticks.The hearing is a tribunal if the law describes it as such and there are clear and important legal differences including notably a different burden of proof; the lack of a formal order for the hearing and the fact a tribunal is inquisitorial rather than adversarial.
4 - tribunals are held in many different venues of many different sizes. Some are courts. Many are not. The fact a tribunal happens to be held on court premises does not in any way make it a court hearing.