---
title: "Appeal Against Outcome"
space: "Industrial Relations Documentation"
url: "http://www.buff0k.co.za/ir-docs/appeal-against-outcome"
updated: "2026-08-17"
---

# Appeal Against Outcome

Once a case is **Submitted**, the standard "Cancel" toolbar action is blocked for everyone except **System Manager** - even for an IR Manager. The only sanctioned way to reopen a decided case is a formal **Appeal Against Outcome**.

## Drafting vs. deciding

Any IR role can create and prepare an appeal - via **Appeal Against Outcome** on the source case's Actions menu, available once the case is Submitted. But **only an IR Manager (or System Manager) can submit it** - drafting and deciding are deliberately separated.

![An Appeal Against Outcome, filled in: the outcome being appealed, an Upheld decision, grounds, and details](/files/ir-appeal-against-outcome-filled16fb25.png)

An appeal records:

- The **Outcome Being Appealed** (read-only, pulled from the case).
- **Appeal Decision**: Pending, Upheld, Partially Upheld, or Dismissed. Submission is blocked while it's still Pending.
- **Grounds for Appeal** (Procedural, Substantive, New Evidence - multi-select) and free-text **Details**.

## What happens on submit

- **Dismissed** - nothing changes. The original decision and sanction stand; the appeal itself is simply the documented record of the (unsuccessful) challenge.
- **Upheld or Partially Upheld** - three things happen automatically:
  1. The most recently submitted sanction document is **cancelled** - which runs that sanction's own reversal (an employee reinstated from dismissal, un-suspended, or a demotion undone) exactly as if it had been cancelled directly.
  2. The source case itself is **cancelled**.
  3. A fresh **amended copy** of the case is created as a new Draft, so it can be re-heard from scratch.

![The amended draft created after a successful appeal - "Amended From: DISC-..." - ready for a fresh hearing cycle](/files/ir-amended-draft-after-appeal93bfd8.png)

From here, the whole cycle - NTA Enquiry, Written Outcome, a sanction - starts again against the amended case.

Next: **Schedule of Offences**, the reference report behind the offence codes used throughout this process.