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Social Security Medical Appeal Tribunal: Appointment of Deputy Chair

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STATES OF JERSEY

SOCIAL SECURITY MEDICAL APPEAL TRIBUNAL: APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY CHAIR

Lodged au Greffe on 4th March 2021 by the Minister for Social Security Earliest date for debate: 20th April 2021

STATES GREFFE

2021  P.13

PROPOSITION

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

 to appoint, in accordance Article 34 of the Social Security (Jersey) Law 1974, further to a process overseen by the Jersey Appointments Commission, the following person  as   Deputy Chair of the Social Security Medical Appeal Tribunal for the period stated against their name –

Advocate Barbara Corbett  5 years MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY

REPORT

Article 6 of the Social Security (Determination of Disablement Questions) (Jersey) Order 1974 requires the Minister to constitute the Social Security Medical Appeals Tribunal (SSMAT).

The SSMAT hears appeals regarding the award of Long-Term Incapacity Allowance following assessments regarding loss of faculty made by a Medical Board. The Tribunal will review all facts placed before it and may confirm, reverse or vary the decision made by the Medical Board.

Changes to the Social Security (Determination of Disablement Questions) (Jersey) Order 1974 came into effect on 6 March 2015 setting out the requirement for the Tribunal to consist of a Chair or a Deputy Chair holding a qualification in law, and two Medical Practitioners (selected from a panel of up to 8 members).

This report discusses the appointment of the Deputy Chair.

The Minister is responsible for the constitution of three different Appeal panels, the Social Security Medical Appeal Tribunal (SSMAT), The Social Security Tribunal (SST) and the Income Support Medical Appeal Tribunal (ISMAT). The role of Chair and Deputy Chair has been developed across all three Tribunals to ensure consistency of process and decision-making and to support the further development of a Tribunals Service.

The Social Security (Determination of Disablement) (Jersey) Order 1974 provides that members of the Tribunal are appointed by the States on the recommendation of the Minister.

A formal recruitment process, overseen by the Appointments Commission, has been undertaken by the Judicial Greffe. Further to this, subject to States approval, it is proposed to appoint Advocate Barbara Corbett as Deputy Chair to the SSMAT for a five-year period from the date of States debate.

Advocate Barbara Corbett is senior and founding partner of Corbett Le Quesne, a specialist family law firm. Prior to coming to Jersey to work in 2007, Advocate Corbett was a family law solicitor and partner at Brethertons in Rugby and before that, a welfare rights officer and Citizens Advice Bureau advisor. She came to Jersey to set up the Family Law department at litigation firm Hanson Renouf , qualifying as an advocate in 2010. Advocate Corbett is a member of the Jersey Mental Health Review Board panel of advocates and the Jersey Children Panel. She has an LLM Master of Laws' in Welfare Law from the University of Leicester and has experience of working with a wide range of family law clients both locally and internationally. She is a qualified mediator, collaborative lawyer, family law arbitrator, a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, a Law Commissioner, and a former member of the English Law Society's Family Law Committee.

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P.13/2021

Financial and manpower implications

There are no financial or manpower implications regarding the appointment of the Tribunal Deputy Chair.

Related Publications

Votes

Vote: Adopted 20 April 2021

Minutes

Hansard