Maros Kravec v Salford City Council
Decision date: 30 April 2026
Neutral citation: [2026] UKUT 170 (LC)
Overall AI summary confidence: high
Short overview
This short overview is intended to summarise the case, issues and outcome so far as they are supported by the judgment.
AI confidence in this short overview: high
The Upper Tribunal set aside the First-tier Tribunal's decision and remitted five civil-penalty appeals brought by Maros Kravec for rehearing by a different FTT panel. The FTT had repeatedly and incorrectly told the appellant that he and his overseas witnesses could not give evidence by video link from the Czech Republic, which led them to provide written evidence only; the UT held that this produced an unfair hearing because the written evidence was given little weight and an adverse inference was drawn. Only that ground was decided; other grounds of appeal were not considered.
Ratio decidendi
This summary is intended to identify the ratio decidendi, meaning the legal reasons for deciding and the binding part of the decision.
AI confidence in this ratio decidendi summary: low
A tribunal that gives incorrect guidance about whether parties may give live evidence from abroad can render the hearing unfair if the parties rely on that guidance and are thereby prevented from giving live, testable evidence; it is therefore inappropriate to penalise a party for complying with such an erroneous direction by drawing adverse inferences from their failure to give live evidence.
Obiter dicta
This summary is intended to identify obiter dicta, meaning observations made by the way that were not necessary to deciding the case and are not binding.
AI confidence in this obiter dicta summary: high
No clear obiter dicta can safely be identified from the notes beyond the procedural consequence that the rehearing should be by a different panel and that other grounds of appeal were left undecided.