What is the adjudication service?
Solicitors and Barristers appointed by the Lord Chancellor are stationed around the country, consider cases put forward to them by keepers who wish to appeal the decisions made by councils regarding penalty charges. To have an appeal considered, the penalty charge must be at the full amount (£50 or £70) and a Notice to Owner must have been issued and a subsequent representation made by the keeper and rejected by the council. The essence of the legislation is that a driver or keeper must make a choice – to pay the penalty charge at its discounted rate for a ‘no contest, minimum cost’ settlement, or to exercise the right to defend the allegation. The right to defend will incur time and cost so as a deterrent to frivolous appeals the penalty charge must revert to its full value. In most circumstances there is no way back. For example, a driver or keeper cannot pay at the discounted level to minimise cost then appeal to try to win it back. Nor can they pay at the discounted rate after an a
