Reynolds v Chessell & Anor (Appeal)

The case involves Reynolds, the appellant, and Chessell & Anor, the respondents, in a civil dispute that was heard in the Appeal Tribunal. Reynolds sought to appeal decisions made by various members of the Tribunal, including Presidential Member Daniel and Senior Member Lennard, as well as interlocutory decisions made by the Tribunal on specific dates. The primary issue was whether Reynolds should be granted leave to appeal out of time and whether the Tribunal had the authority to hear appeals against interlocutory decisions.

The court examined several factors in determining whether to grant leave to appeal out of time, including the length of the delay, reasons for the delay, merits of the proposed appeal, prejudice to the respondent, and the requirements of justice. The court found that while prima facie time limits must be obeyed, these factors can be considered when deciding whether to grant leave to appeal out of time. The court also considered whether the Tribunal had the authority to hear appeals against interlocutory decisions.

In this case, the Appeal Tribunal dismissed the appeal against the decision of Presidential Member Daniel and refused the application for an extension of time to appeal against the decision of Senior Member Lennard. The court also refused the application for leave to appeal against orders and directions of the Tribunal on specific dates, finding that the application was out of time and there were no exceptional circumstances to justify the delay. The court found that the reasons for the delay were not sufficient and that there was no prejudice to the respondents. The court also found that the merits of the proposed appeal did not outweigh the need to obey the prima facie time limits.

The Appeal Tribunal orders that the appeal against the decision of Presidential Member Daniel is dismissed, the application for an extension of time to appeal against the decision of Senior Member Lennard is refused, and the application for leave to appeal against orders and directions of the Tribunal on specific dates is refused.