Joanne Gentry v The Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors

Facts

The appellant, Joanne Gentry, appealed to the First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber) against a decision of the Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors concerning her application for a third trainee licence. The judgment does not set out the Registrar's decision in any more detail. Under Regulation 14(b) of the Motor Cars (Driving Instruction) Regulations 2025, a trainee licence remains in force until the day immediately following the trainee's third unsuccessful attempt at the instructional ability test. By a form GRC5 dated 15 September 2026, the Registrar informed the Tribunal that the appellant had failed her third attempt at the instructional ability test on 14 September 2026. The Registrar contended that the appeal must therefore fail, because the appellant was no longer eligible to hold a trainee licence, and applied for the appeal to be struck out. On 18 September 2026 the Tribunal directed the appellant to provide, by 2 October 2026, any submissions as to why the appeal should not be struck out. The appellant did not respond. The matter was decided by Judge Harris without a hearing.