The appeals were against two decisions of the Certification Officer. The first, dated 13 October 2021, struck out two complaints about an election for the position of secretary of the Lancashire branch of UNISON in February 2021. By the second decision, in a letter dated 25 April 2022, the Certification Officer held that she had no jurisdiction to consider a complaint concerning the cessation of the Appellant’s membership of UNISON, shortly before the branch secretary election in 2022, which had the consequence that he was not eligible to stand.

The EAT dismissed the first appeal but allowed the second. The Certification Officer did not err in law in striking out two complaints about an election for the position of secretary of the Lancashire branch of UNISON in February 2021. The appeal against a decision that the Certification Officer had no jurisdiction to consider a complaint concerning the cessation of the appellant’s membership of UNISON, shortly before the branch secretary election in 2022, which had the consequence that he was not eligible to stand, was conceded by the Respondent and was remitted to the Certification Officer to be determined.