Making a Notification

Under the Equal Status Acts, a complainant must write to a respondent within two months of the alleged incident setting out the details of the complaint and the intention, if not satisfied with the response, to seek redress from the Director of the Tribunal. A complaint is not valid until this is done. A form, (known as ES.1 form) is available from the Equality Tribunal and may be used to do this by completing it and sending it to the respondent within the two month period.

Where reasonable cause may have prevented a complainant from making the notification within the required two months and where it is just and equitable, the Director has the power to extend the notification period to four months.

Complainants must refer their complaint to the Equality Tribunal within six months of the alleged discrimination. This period too may be extended by the Director to 12 months if such an application is made by the complainant, if the Director considers that the reasons for a delay were reasonable.