Railways Act 1921

24 Additional members of tribunal.

(1) There shall be constituted two panels, the one (hereinafter referred to as the general panel) consisting of thirty-six persons, "twenty-two being nominated by the President of the Board of Trade after consultation with such bodies as he may consider to be most representative of trading interests twelve being nominated by the Minister of Labour after consultation with such bodies as he may consider most representative of the interests of labour and of passengers upon the railways, and two being nominated by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries after consultation with such bodies as he may consider most representative of agricultural and horticultural interests, and the other (hereinafter referred to as the railway panel) consisting of eleven persons nominated by the Minister after consultation with the Railway Companies' Association, and one person nominated by the Minister to represent railways and light railway companies not parties to the Railway Companies' Association.

(2) A member of a panel shall hold office for such term, not exceeding three years from the date of his appointment, as "may be determined at the time of appointment, and then retire, but shall be eligible for reappointment.

(3) If a vacancy occurs amongst the permanent members of the rates tribunal, or if any permanent member of the rates tribunal is incapacitated by prolonged illness or other unavoidable cause from attending meetings of the tribunal, then pending the filling up of such vacancy or during such absence,

(a) in the case of the president, the Lord Chancellor may appoint a person to act in his place;

(b) in the case of either of the other permanent members, the Minister may appoint a member of a panel to act in his place, the person so appointed being selected from the general panel or the railway panel according to the qualification of the permanent member in question.

(4) Whenever for the purposes of any particular case or proceeding the rates tribunal either upon application by any of the parties or otherwise so request, or the Minister thinks it expedient, there shall be added to the rates tribunal two additional members nominated by the Minister from the panels, one selected from the general panel and one from the railway panel.

In selecting a member from the general panel, regard shall be had to the particular class of case or proceeding to be heard, so that, as nearly as may be, the person so selected shall be conversant with and have knowledge of the technicalities that may arise in such particular case or proceeding.

(5) Any person appointed under the provisions of this section shall, for the purposes of any proceedings in respect of which he may be so appointed, be a member of the rates tribunal and shall, subject to the provisions of this Part of this Act and to the general rules made thereunder, exercise all the powers and functions of a permanent member of the rates tribunal.