For example, an employer might admit in a without prejudice communication that it had failed to carry out certain procedures which might otherwise render a dismissal unfair, but the employee would normally not be able to show that admission to an Employment Tribunal to try and prove their claim.
Because the parties involved in a legal dispute know that without prejudice offers can't be used as evidence of guilt in court, they feel safe in making dispute settlement offers. If this protection was removed, then no one would make any offers.
If a decision or action is made without prejudice to a right or claim, it is made without having an effect on that right or claim: My client accepts the formal apology without prejudice to any further legal action she may decide to take.
The 'without prejudice' privilege means parties to a dispute can make concessions and promises without fear that their words will be used later in court.
Letter of No Prejudice (LONP) LONPs are intended to allow time-sensitive critical-path project activities to occur using local funds in advance of federal grant funds being available for reimbursement. As such, LONPs expire after a specific period of time, generally limited to five years.
When does the Rule apply? The starting point is that there must be a bona fide attempt to resolve a dispute. If not, then the without prejudice rule is not engaged, even if the label 'Without Prejudice' is attached to the correspondence.
In general terms, the Without Prejudice Rule operates to exclude genuinely without prejudice communications from evidence in the current or subsequent proceedings between the parties to the dispute and between different parties to the dispute (e.g. in tripartite litigation).
The basic meaning of 'without prejudice' is that statements made in the settlement of an existing dispute cannot be relied upon as evidence against the interests of the relevant party if negotiations fail and the parties then have to formally engage in a dispute resolution procedure.
The 'without prejudice' label can be attached to any form of communication – letters, emails, phone calls, and meetings – whether online or otherwise. All that is required is that one or both parties state that the communication is 'without prejudice' before the communication occurs.
Whereas a case that is dismissed “with prejudice” is dismissed permanently, a case that is dismissed “without prejudice” is only dismissed temporarily. This temporary dismissal means that the plaintiff is allowed to re-file charges, alter the claim, or bring the case to another court.