Earlier this year, new requirements for claiming compensation for cancelled sittings by FPJs were set out on the Judicial Intranet. These appeared to require e-mail evidence of specific work from clients that was refused because of the sitting. This would have made it very difficult for FPJs to make claims because when a barrister or solicitor books a sitting clerks or practice managers will simply not put them forward for work on that day or consider them for work that comes in.
We made representations to the MoJ about this, and spoke to other associations.
As a result, the policy has been clarified (though nothing has yet appeared on the intranet) and MoJ accept that e-mails are just one way of showing loss. Someone with another work stream is able to fill in their official chambers/office calendar for the month they are claiming for putting for example “DDJ sitting day - N/A” on the dates they are booked to sit. When cancelled, they then take a screenshot and upload in Access it to the application for cancellation compensation. It is emphasised these must be official chambers/office diaries and not just screenshots of personal ones. As we understand it, MoJ are working on posting FAQs on the intranet to make this clear.
