GOV.UK has published the next run of Certification Officer hearings, with listed cases running from 20 October 2026 to 25 March 2027. The schedule, last updated on 18 September 2026, covers complaints about union branch and national elections, disciplinary action, internal meeting procedure and access to accounting records. The Certification Officer describes the office as an independent statutory office holder responsible for regulating trade unions and employers’ associations. (gov.uk)
Most of the cases are brought under section 108A of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. In plain terms, that section lets a union member ask the Certification Officer for a declaration where there is an alleged breach or threatened breach of union rules on specified matters, including elections to office, disciplinary proceedings, member ballots on issues other than industrial action, and the constitution or proceedings of executive committees or other decision-making meetings. One listed case also invokes section 30, which gives members a right to request access to accounting records that the union is required to keep available for inspection. (legislation.gov.uk)
The first two hearings are centred on elections and discipline. Dabrowski & Whitehouse and the Communication Workers Union, listed for 20 to 22 October 2026, concerns two complaints that the union breached its rules in relation to the 2026 branch elections. Ali and the British Medical Association, listed for 10 and 11 November 2026, concerns six complaints covering disciplinary proceedings and other separate matters under the 1992 Act. (gov.uk)
The next November cases are more pointedly about procedural fairness. Coe v TSSA, listed for 17 and 18 November 2026, concerns two complaints about disciplinary proceedings after the union allegedly refused to circulate the applicant’s appeals at the Annual Conference 2025 and Annual Conference 2026. The GOV.UK listing also records an allegation that the implied rule of natural justice was breached because the applicant was not given notice of the charges and an opportunity to state his case. Baird v NASUWT, listed for 24 and 25 November 2026, concerns two complaints about a 2025 election and an alleged refusal to let the applicant present an election address to the union’s Executive Committee. (gov.uk)
The 2027 hearings continue the same pattern. Bates, Floyd, Mangan v TSSA is listed for 2 to 4 February 2027 and concerns separate applications about the 2026 National Treasurer elections and disciplinary proceedings against Mr Bates. Farwell v UCU (2), on 8 and 9 February 2027, concerns disciplinary procedures and the implied rule of natural justice. Plummer v Unite the Union, on 24 and 25 February 2027, concerns decision-making meeting and election procedures; Smith v Unite the Union, on 3 and 4 March 2027, combines a section 30 complaint about access to accounting records with a section 108A complaint about convening a Special Executive Council meeting; and Hughes v Prospect, on 25 March 2027, concerns the constitution and proceedings of a decision-making meeting. (gov.uk)
These cases matter because the Certification Officer’s remit is specific. According to the office’s governance and public guidance pages, the office does not intervene in the day-to-day management of unions, but it does determine complaints about alleged breaches of certain rules or legal requirements and provides a formal route for resolving disputes between members and their organisations. Not every complaint ends with a hearing: GOV.UK says a decision can sometimes be made without one if both sides agree that the union’s rules or the law have been broken. The disputes now listed are the matters that require formal determination. (gov.uk)
The recent caseload helps explain why the listing deserves attention. In the annual report laid before Parliament on 3 July 2026, the Certification Officer said the office dealt with 46 complaints from union members in 2025-26. Two were withdrawn, four were struck out and 40 proceeded to a hearing; of those, 7 were upheld and 33 were dismissed. The same governance statement says recent case law developments have changed how member complaints are handled and that the office expects an increase in formal decisions and formal hearings during 2026 to 2027. (gov.uk)
The hearings themselves are being held remotely on Zoom, according to the GOV.UK listing, and observers can ask to join by contacting the Certification Office at info@certoffice.org or on 0330 109 3602. The same notice says reasonable adjustments are available for disabled attendees. Separate hearing guidance says the office usually holds a case management meeting before the hearing, usually issues a written decision after rather than during the hearing, and aims to do so within four weeks. It also notes that most applicants are unrepresented and says the office will take steps to reduce that disadvantage. For union members, officers and compliance teams, the immediate lesson is straightforward: elections, discipline, meeting procedure and record access remain active areas of statutory scrutiny under the 1992 Act. (gov.uk)