Rationale for Anonymising Employment Claims Tribunal Judgments and Legal Implications of Self-identification on Public Platforms

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) what are the reasons behind anonymising the names of parties in the published judgments of the Employment Claims Tribunal; (b) whether the parties in those cases are allowed to identify themselves publicly, including via social media; and (c) if not, what offence does it amount to if they do so.

Ms Jasmin Lau: The Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) has decided to anonymise the identities of parties in its published judgments. This takes into account the applicable legal principles and factors unique to ECT proceedings, which include the private nature of such proceedings and the sensitivity of personal information which may be disclosed. Anonymisation allows the legal principles underlying a decision to be made public to help the public, businesses and workers better understand the law, without unnecessarily exposing the identities of the parties involved in cases.

Public self-identification by a party in connection with an ECT judgment does not, in itself, amount to an offence. Whether such a party might face legal consequences depends on the nature and circumstances of the disclosure and any restrictions or directions that may have been imposed by the Court.