Courts and Tribunals
The Network Court and the five tribunals of the Velocity Interoperability Network together form the judicial arrangements of the Network. Both the Court and the tribunals were constituted on 6 September 2026 and are administered by the Registry of the Network Court, which keeps a single record of every matter and publishes every decision.
The Court sits in four divisions. Each division has its own subject matter and its own sitting days, and a matter is allocated to a division by the Registry when it is lodged. A division may sit outside its listed days where the presiding judge directs that a matter is urgent, and any division may sit with a larger panel where a matter raises a question of general importance to the Network.
The tribunals decide defined classes of matter at first instance. Each sits as a panel of one legally qualified chair and two members drawn from the field to which the matter relates. An appeal lies from every tribunal to the Appeals Division of the Court on a point of rule or standard, and must be lodged within 28 days of the tribunal's decision.
Divisions of the Network Court
| Division | Matters heard | Composition | Sitting days |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Division | Disputes between member organisations referred to the Court after mediation has concluded without agreement. | Three judges, one presiding | Tuesdays and Thursdays |
| Standards Division | Requests for a binding ruling on the meaning or application of a Network rule or interoperability standard. | Three judges, one of whom holds a standards qualification | Wednesdays |
| Enforcement Division | Applications by a Network department for a compliance order or for the suspension of a member's access to Network services. | One judge; three judges where suspension is sought | Mondays |
| Appeals Division | Appeals against decisions of Network offices and against decisions of the five tribunals. | Three judges, none of whom heard the matter below | Fridays |
Tribunals of the Network
| Tribunal | Matters heard | Appeal lies to | First sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certification Tribunal | Refusal, conditioning or withdrawal of a certification of a product or service against a Network standard. | Appeals Division | 15 September 2026 |
| Licensing Tribunal | Refusal, conditioning, suspension or withdrawal of a licence to operate a Network service. | Appeals Division | 16 September 2026 |
| Data Protection Tribunal | Complaints that a member or a department has handled personal data otherwise than in accordance with Network rules. | Appeals Division | 17 September 2026 |
| Procurement Tribunal | Challenges to the award of a Network contract by a department, including challenges to the terms of an invitation. | Appeals Division | 22 September 2026 |
| Staff Tribunal | Employment matters concerning the staff of Network departments, including grading, dismissal and disciplinary decisions. | Appeals Division | 24 September 2026 |
Matters handled
Before the Department existed, disputes and complaints between member organisations were heard by interim panels that the members convened between themselves. During the transition period from 10 August to 5 September 2026 those panels transferred their work to the Department. The figures below record what was transferred and what remained open on the day the Court was constituted.
- 168
- Matters transferred from interim panels, 10 August to 5 September 2026
- 127
- Matters concluded before the Department was established
- 41
- Matters open at establishment and allocated to a division or tribunal
- 9
- Divisions and tribunals sitting from September 2026
Matters transferred by type
| Type of matter | Transferred | Concluded before establishment | Open at establishment | Now heard by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member disputes | 74 | 58 | 16 | General Division |
| Standards questions | 39 | 30 | 9 | Standards Division |
| Appeals from Network offices | 33 | 25 | 8 | Appeals Division |
| Enforcement applications | 22 | 14 | 8 | Enforcement Division |
| Total | 168 | 127 | 41 | — |
Sittings and listing
The first sittings of the four divisions take place on Monday 14 September 2026. The tribunals follow between 15 and 24 September. The Registry publishes the list for each sitting day two clear days beforehand and notifies the parties by email.
Sittings are open to the members and departments of the Network. A division or tribunal may sit in closed session where a matter concerns commercially confidential material or personal data, and records in its decision that it has done so.
Choosing the right body
- A dispute with another member
- Begin with direct negotiation and, if no settlement is reached within 30 days, refer the dispute to the Dispute Resolution Service. The General Division hears the matter only after mediation has concluded without agreement.
- A question about a rule or standard
- Where members disagree on the meaning or application of a Network rule or interoperability standard, either may ask the Standards Division for a binding ruling. Mediation is not required.
- A failure by a member to comply
- Compliance is a matter for the Enforcement Office, which issues a compliance notice before bringing any application to the Enforcement Division.
- A decision of a Network office
- Certification, licensing, data protection, procurement and staff decisions are heard at first instance by the tribunal named in the table above. Other decisions of Network offices are appealed directly to the Appeals Division.
- A decision of a tribunal
- An appeal lies to the Appeals Division on a point of rule or standard, and must be lodged with the Registry within 28 days of the tribunal's decision.
Enquiries
Matters are lodged with the Registry of the Network Court by email, whether they are for a division of the Court or for a tribunal. The steps are set out on the Courts page, the periods that apply to them on the Rules of Procedure page, and the arrangements for publication on the Decisions and the Register page.
Enquiries about a sitting or a listing may be sent to contact@justice.gov.vin.