AV Tribunal Hearing Details

Notification will issue from the Tribunal’s Scheduling & Hearings Team informing you of the:

1. Date and time of scheduled hearing, and
2. Tribunal Member officiating

Link details for each Tribunal AV Hearing will only be provided to the legal representative instructed by the appellant to act on his or her behalf.

Technical Requirements

The virtual hearing room can be accessed using an array of internet browsers including Chrome, Safari and Firefox (camera & microphone required).

It is highly recommended that all participants download the Cisco WebEx Meetings App before joining the hearing. The use of a mobile phone for joining a hearing is not endorsed by the Tribunal, any other device is preferable.

How to Join a Virtual Hearing

Using the link provided, you can test your camera and microphone on the preview screen before joining the Virtual Hearing. Here you can also start and stop your video and choose what audio and microphone settings.

When you join the hearing an official from the Tribunal will be in the virtual hearing room to greet you, ensuring that all participants are present and that the system is operating properly.

Once this is done the Tribunal official will sign out of the virtual hearing room and the Tribunal Member will proceed with the hearing.

Joining a Hearing

  • It is advisable to join the hearing 5/10 minutes before the start time. This allows time to check everything is working correctly and ascertain which parties have joined the hearing.

  • If the legal rep/barrister, interpreter and/or Presenting Officer (representative from the International Protection Office) have yet to join the hearing, Scheduling and Hearing staff will contact the relevant parties.
  • If you are having issues joining a hearing or have not been admitted within 5/10 minutes of the start time, contact the Scheduling and Hearing team (see contact details below under ‘Troubleshooting AV Hearings’). Please be mindful that the issue may be related to an IT problem and therefore beyond the capacity of Tribunal staff.
  • If the appellant does not join the hearing, the legal rep/barrister should contact the appellant.

During a Hearing

  • Please treat the virtual hearing room as you would a physical hearing room.
  • If you experience any issues or lose connection during a hearing, please try to log back in. If unsuccessful, call the Scheduling and Hearing team (see contact details below under ‘Troubleshooting AV Hearings’). They will work to resolve the issue to the best of their ability.

  • Should you need to consult with your legal representative, need a break, or if there is any matter that you do not understand please make this request to the Tribunal Member by raising your hand or using the raise hand facility on WebEx.

  • Once the hearing has been completed the Tribunal Member will inform all participants that the hearing is concluded and once all parties have acknowledged this the audio video connection will be terminated by the Tribunal Member.

Tips for improving your video conferencing experience

  • Ensure that your internet connection for the virtual hearing room is strong, stable and meets the requirements specified. A stable internet connection is key to achieving a successful video call and avoiding disruption.
  • Test your connection in advance of the hearing, so that any issues can be rectified. Your assigned virtual hearing room will be opened 10 minutes in advance and you may use the connection detail to test your access prior to the sitting.
  • Ensure all applications on your laptop or device are closed, apart from your video stream. Additional applications may interfere with the quality of your video call and access to the virtual hearing room.
  • Your image will be displayed in the bottom right corner of your screen. Please ensure that your head and shoulders are visible at all times throughout the hearing.
  • Clear sound is essential for a good conferencing experience. When not actively speaking in the virtual hearing room, you should mute your microphone to reduce feedback and unwanted background noise.
  • You should ensure you have a good light source directed towards the face and avoid having any light sources behind or directly above you. It is especially important to make sure windows and daylight sources are not behind you as this will overwhelm the camera on your screen and you will not be easily visible.

Troubleshooting AV Hearings

If you are experiencing any problems during a hearing please contact the Scheduling & Hearings Team on (087) 9828920 or email [email protected].

The above number is the only number that should be used when contacting the Scheduling & Hearing Unit, please discard any previous landline numbers you were provided with.

This mobile number is serviced from 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday if hearings are scheduled.

Please be advised that we will be unable to contact translation services after the hours of 5pm.

However, we will do our best to resolve your query.

A Tribunal staff member will be available for the duration of the hearing.

This page was last updated on February 27, 2024