Strasbourg judgment: Eweida and others v UK

Nadia Eweida has succeeded in her claim that the UK breached her right to manifest her religion under article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Readers may remember that she worked for British Airways, and refused to abide by its uniform policy, insisting on wearing a cross visible to customers. By a majority of […]

Brodie Clark’s tribunal claim – and Parliamentary privilege

The Guardian is reporting today that Home Office legal advisers think Brodie Clark, the former senior civil servant at the Border and Immigration Agency, will win his employment tribunal claim against the Home Office. I find this slightly strange, for a couple of reasons. First, if “Home Office lawyers” really have given such advice, I […]

EHRC observations in Strasbourg “religitigation” cases

A few weeks ago Adam Wagner at the UK Human Rights Blog told us the ECHR had changed the stance it took in July on a series of religious discrimination claims currently being pursued in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Those claims include the case of Nadia Eweida, who wanted by BA […]

No. 10 “secretly commissioned legal advice”

The Telegraph, reporting today on tension between 10 Downing Street and the Department for Business over implementing the Agency Workers Directive, tells us Downing Street has been told by lawyers that the Business Secretary’s department has “gold-plated” the legislation with additional rules that need not have been included, despite a pledge by the Coalition not […]

Outing, idle gossip and sexuality discrimination

An interesting discrimination law judgment came the Court of Appeal on Friday in Grant v H.M Land Registry. Chris Grant worked for the Land Registry, initially at Lytham, where he was “out”; but when he got promoted to a job in Coventry, he decided to keep quiet about at first about being gay, intending perhaps […]

Without Prejudice

In the latest Without Prejudice podcast, Charon QC, Timothy Pitt-Payne QC, Amanda Bancroft of Beneath The Wig and I discuss Lady Hale’s comments on legal aid the law on checking out potential employees the Milly Dowler murder trial, and treatment of her parents Alex Salmond’s spat with the UK Supreme Court over human rights Ken […]

Employment Tribunal ruling: O’Reilly v BBC

Here’s the Employment Tribunal’s ruling in Miriam O’Reilly’s successful age discrimination and victimisation claim aginst the BBC over its decision to drop her as a presenter of Countryfile. She won on age discrimination, on the basis that the ET thought she would have been considered seriously as a presenter when the programme moved to an […]

That pesky age discrimination law (again)

In January I noticed not all employers had yet “got it” about age discrimination. Now here’s more evidence, this time from an “executive search” company no less: I suggest if they want to avoid breaching regulation 7 of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, they should consider also looking for the next “bright middle-aged thing” […]

Short shrift for Lord Carey

Lord Carey’s complaints about secularist oppression of Christians and call for “faith-sensitive” judges have received an unusually direct response from Laws LJ in his Court of Appeal ruling refusing permission to appeal in McFarlane v Relate Avon, the unfair dismissal and religious discrimination claim that Lord Carey had supported: The general law may of course […]

The Tory legal bits

Following my post on the “legal bits” of the Labour manifesto, here’s my analysis of the most important Conservative proposals of particular legal interest. I warn you: this is a long one, and needs sub-headings. Constitutional law On the constitution, the Tories promise that A Conservative government will change the law so that never again […]