Hundreds of Scottish employment tribunals are taking years to resolve

Liberal Democrat Scottish Affairs spokesperson Susan Murray MP has today urged the UK Government to speed up the handling of Scottish employment tribunals as she revealed new figures showing that more than 1,200 tribunal cases have been open for more than a year.

Parliamentary questions submitted by Ms Murray have revealed that as of 31 March 2026, 1,205 Scottish employment tribunal cases had been open for more than one year, 690 cases had been open for more than two years, 500 cases had been open for more than three years and 427 cases had been open for more than four years.

In response to a further Scottish Liberal Democrat parliamentary question, Scottish Government minister Kirsten Oswald confirmed that "The Scottish Government has not made representations to the UK Government regarding scheduling matters, waiting times, the impact of waiting times, or the time taken for employment tribunal claims in the reserved tribunals to conclude."

Scottish Liberal Democrats are now calling on the UK and Scottish Governments to reduce tribunal delays and increase judicial and administrative capacity to ensure cases are swiftly processed.

Susan Murray MP said:

“When unemployment tribunals are dragged, it can be bad for both sides

“Claimants may be out of work or waiting for compensation for a long period, while legal costs accumulate. Stress and uncertainty are prolonged, evidence can deteriorate and it becomes harder to rely on witnesses.

“These figures show that Scots are waiting years and years to have their cases heard. In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, that is a major concern.

“I was surprised to see that the Scottish Government has not made any representations to the UK Government about the impact of waiting times. Ordinarily they will take any excuse to weigh in on issues reserved to Westminster but it seems as if they are not really on top of this issue.

“I am calling on ministers to ensure that Scots are not left for years waiting on an employment tribunal and can get on with their lives.”