Legal

Required oath-taking and cross-examination are slowing down WRC hearings ‘significantly’

More complex requirements following Supreme Court ruling last year means some cases before the commission can take more than a day

Leo Varadkar, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, had to rush through legislation last year to allow the WRC to make changes, including the administering of oaths. Picture: Rollingnews

The new requirement for witnesses to swear they are telling the truth is slowing down the hearings of workplace dispute cases.

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) brought in the new requirement of the swearing of oaths last year, after the Supreme Court ruled that it had to operate to the same standards as a court to guarantee the proper administration of justice.

But the need to get every witness to swear an oath has slowed ...