Section 3 | The President and Vice-President.

(1)There shall be—

(a)a President of the Employment Tribunals and the Fair Employment Tribunal (in this Part of this Act referred to as “the President”),^F1

(b)a Vice-President of the Employment Tribunals and the Fair Employment Tribunal (in this Part of this Act referred to as “the Vice-President”), and^F1

(c)a panel of chairmen of the Fair Employment Tribunal,

who shall each be appointed by the Lord Chancellor and shall exercise the functions respectively conferred on them by or under the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Acts or any other enactment.

(2)A person is not qualified for appointment under subsection (1) above unless he is a barrister or solicitor of not less than seven years’ standing.

(3)The President and Vice-President may each resign his office at any time by notice in writing to the Lord Chancellor and shall each vacate his office on the day on which he attains the age of 70, but subject to subsection (4) below and subsections (4) to (6) of section 26 of the Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993 (power to authorise continuance in office up to the age of 75).^F2

(4)If, in the opinion of the Lord Chancellor, the President or Vice-President is unfit to continue in office or is incapable of performing his duties, the Lord Chancellor may revoke his appointment.

(5)A person appointed under subsection (1)(c) above to a panel of chairmen shall hold and vacate office as provided by or under regulations under section 2(1) of this Act.

(6)The functions of the President or Vice-President may, if he is for any reason unable to act or during a vacancy in his office, be discharged by a person nominated for that purpose by the Lord Chancellor.

(7)Regulations under section 2(1) of this Act may provide for specified functions of the President and Vice-President (including functions under sections 6 and 17 of this Act) to be exercised in specified circumstances by a person appointed, under subsection (1)(c) above, to a panel of chairmen.

(8)Until the first appointment under subsection (1)(a) above takes effect, the President of the Employment Tribunals shall be the President.^F1

(9)Repealed^F3