Thomas Barry Hawthorne v Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors

Facts

The appellant, Thomas Barry Hawthorne, held a first trainee driving instructor licence and applied on 13 November 2025 for a second one. The Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors refused the application by a decision of 29 January 2026. The Registrar's reasons were that the appellant had not complied with the conditions of the first licence by providing a training record within three months; that a trainee licence exists to give a period, which the Registrar said was up to six months, in which to gain enough experience to pass the Part 3 test; and that it was not intended to become an alternative to full registration as an Approved Driving Instructor. The Registrar also said that holding a trainee licence was not required in order to take the Part 3 test. The appellant appealed by notice dated 5 February 2026. He accepted that he had not completed the required training in time, but said that he had finished it by 27 January 2026. He relied on the cancellation of his last training session when his trainer fell ill, the loss of a pupil who had been assisting him, his own illness in November and December 2025, and the lack of Part 3 tests in three local areas. In a Response dated 7 May 2026 the Registrar maintained the refusal, noting that the appellant had cancelled three booked Part 3 tests and had never taken one. The appeal was determined on the papers.