JM v Secretary of State for Defence (AFCS) (Tribunal procedure and practice (including UT) : fair hearing)

Factual and Procedural Background

The Appellant challenged a decision of the First-tier Tribunal dated 23 May 2013 concerning allegations of assaults and a campaign of bullying. The two assaults resulted in physical injuries to the Appellant, specifically damage to front teeth and a wound to the right leg. The procedural history includes an appeal to the Upper Tribunal, which found inadequacies in the reasoning and procedural fairness of the First-tier Tribunal's decision. As a result, the appeal was allowed and the matter was remitted to a differently constituted panel of the First-tier Tribunal for re-determination with specific directions regarding witness statements and submissions from both parties.

Legal Issues Presented

1. Whether the First-tier Tribunal's decision was adequately reasoned and procedurally fair.
2. The proper application of the causation test under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS), specifically whether injuries were attributable to or aggravated by war service.
3. The interpretation and application of the "predominant cause" test in relation to service-related injuries.

Arguments of the Parties

Appellant's Arguments

• This information was not available in the provided opinion.

Respondent's Arguments

• The Respondent submitted that the injuries sustained by the Appellant were caused solely by criminal acts and that service merely provided the setting rather than the cause of injury.
• The Respondent contended that service was not the predominant cause of the injuries.

Table of Precedents Cited

Court's Reasoning and Analysis

The court analysed the nature of causation in the context of injuries sustained during service. It confirmed that the injuries resulted from isolated criminal acts and that service was merely the setting, not the cause. However, the court clarified the legal test for attributability under the AFCS: if an injurious process pre-exists service, the issue is whether service aggravated it; if it arises during service, the question is whether service was one of the causes. The court rejected a prior approach that distinguished between predominant and contributory causes in a way that excluded war service as a cause if it was not predominant. Instead, the court held that if war service is one of the causes of a disease or injury, it is attributable to war service regardless of other causes' relative potency. This reasoning was illustrated through analogies from criminal law and supported by precedent. The court found the First-tier Tribunal's reasoning inadequate and procedurally unfair, necessitating a remittal with directions to ensure proper consideration of evidence and submissions.

Holding and Implications

The appeal is allowed. The decision of the First-tier Tribunal is set aside due to inadequacy of reasoning and procedural unfairness. The matter is remitted to a differently constituted panel for re-hearing in accordance with the court’s guidance and directions.

The direct effect is that the First-tier Tribunal must reconsider the case with proper procedural fairness and reasoning, including receiving detailed witness statements and submissions from both parties. No new precedent is established beyond clarifying the application of causation principles under the AFCS and procedural fairness requirements.