Belvoir Logistics Ltd (1) and Shane Tinnelly (2) v Driver and Vehicle Agency (Northern Ireland) (T): [2025] UKUT 383 (AAC)
Upper Tribunal Administrative Appeals Chamber decision by Judge Smith on 10 November 2025.
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Judicial Summary
The Upper Tribunal dismissed the appeal brought by Belvoir Logistics Ltd and Shane Tinnelly against the decision of the Presiding Officer on behalf of the Department for Infrastructure (NI), which had revoked the company’s operator’s licence, disqualified Mr Tinnelly indefinitely as a transport manager and disqualified both parties from holding or obtaining an operator’s licence for 12 months. The Tribunal found no material error of law or procedural impropriety in the decision, concluding that the presence of Traffic Regulation Unit (TRU) staff at the public inquiry did not amount to procedural unfairness, nor did the application to exclude such persons from the PI, create bias against the Appellant. The Tribunal upheld the Presiding Officer’s findings that the operator had lost good repute due to a pattern of serious regulatory breaches, including vehicle maintenance failures, driver infringements, and inadequate management oversight. Despite the operator’s engagement of a transport consultant and some remedial efforts, the Upper Tribunal determined that revocation and disqualification were a proportionate and lawful response.