Military Service Tribunals

[moulie11]

Can anyone tell me what the difference was between the urban/rural tribunals and local appeal tribunals? I've been making notes of the proceedings at these whilst scouring the newspaper archives, as they often contain useful details about the local men and their circumstances. However, it would be good to understand the process and structure of the tribunal system a little better so that I can put this into context.

Luke.

[Alan Tucker]

They appear to be based on local council units which in rural areas could be a rural district council. Then there were Tribunals which heard appeals which appear to be on a county basis and finally there was the national one whose decisions on complex interpretations of the various Military Service Acts became 'case law' for the others,

[Magnumbellum]

It was rather more precise than that. Under the Military Service Act 1916 it was the duty of every county borough, borough, urban district and rural district council to set up a military service tribunal for the consideration of applications for exemption on the various grounds stipulated by the Act. From their decisions an appeal by either party - the military representative was legally a party - lay to the county appeal tribunal set up by each county council. There was an overarching Central Tribunal, but an appeal thereto could only be made by leave of the County Appeal Tribunal.

The government department responsible for the whole system was the Local Government Board.

[moulie11]

Thanks for the responses. It seems more straightforward than I thought it might be!

Luke.