Irfan Ullah Inam v The Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors

Facts

The appellant, Irfan Ullah Inam, applied to the Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors for a third trainee licence. Trainee licences permit a person to give paid driving instruction while working towards qualification as an approved driving instructor, and under Regulation 14(b) of the Motor Cars (Driving Instruction) Regulations 2025 such a licence remains in force only until the day immediately following the trainee's third unsuccessful attempt at the instructional ability test. The appellant appealed to the First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber) against the Registrar's decision on his application. While the appeal was pending, the Registrar informed the Tribunal by a form GRC5 dated 17 July 2026 that the appellant had failed his third attempt at the instructional ability test on 16 July 2026, with the consequence that he was no longer eligible to hold a trainee licence at all. The Registrar applied for the appeal to be struck out. The Tribunal directed the appellant on 17 July 2026 to provide any submissions as to why the appeal should not be struck out, by 31 July 2026. The appellant did not respond to that direction. The appeal was determined without a hearing by Judge Harris.