Female legal team explores options over “sexist” judge – Legal Futures

‘An almost all-female legal team is working out how to challenge a refusal to investigate allegations of intimidating, sexist and discriminatory conduct by a male judge.’

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Legal Futures, 17th March 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Assessing Quantum in Discrimination Cases: An Analysis of the Vento bands – Becket Chambers

‘Claims for discrimination are largely covered by the Equality Act 2010, the two most common forms of discrimination being direct and indirect. Direct discrimination is defined in the Act as one person treating another less favourably than he would others due to a protected characteristic (those characteristics being defined as age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or pregnancy and maternity), whilst indirect discrimination is defined as a person applying a provision, criterion or practice which is discriminatory in relation to a relevant protected characteristic of another. Generally, the primary outcome of discrimination (direct or indirect) is injury to feelings to the person who has been discriminated against.

The question which arises when a claim is made for injury to feelings as a result of discrimination is how damages can be quantified, given its non-tangible nature. How can I make a claim for my feelings being hurt and, if successful, what could I be awarded?’

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Becket Chambers, 11th March 2025

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Top City watchdogs drop new diversity and inclusion rules for firms – The Guardian

‘The City’s top two regulators have said they will not bring in new diversity and inclusion rules for financial firms because they want to avoid imposing extra “regulatory burdens” and costs, in the latest sign of a retreat from efforts to help underrepresented groups.’

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The Guardian, 12th March 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

Sentencing body defends changes after ‘two-tier’ row – BBC News

‘The body advising judges on criminal sentences has hit back at the justice secretary’s call for it to scrap new guidance on sentencing offenders from ethnic monitories.’

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BBC News, 10th March 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Justice secretary set for showdown with judges over sentencing guidelines – The Independent

‘Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood is set for a confrontation with the Sentencing Council later this week after they wrote to her warning her against “dictating” to judges over new measures which she fears will create a “two tier” legal system.’

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The Independent, 10th March 2025

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Abuse in English football a ‘crisis’ – Kick It Out – BBC News

Posted February 11th, 2025 in bills, diversity, equality, hate crime, news, race discrimination, racism, sex discrimination, sport by tracey

‘The level of abuse in English football has “reached crisis point”, says the head of anti-discrimination body Kick It Out.’

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BBC News, 10th February 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Man loses sex discrimination claim after boss says ‘sorry boys’ at awards do – The Guardian

‘A marketing executive at a party balloon company has lost a sex discrimination claim lodged after his female boss said “sorry boys” as she revealed that a woman had won an award.’

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The Guardian, 5th February 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

The McDonald’s Model: What happens next following a McFlurry of harassment complaints? – Doughty Street Chambers

‘In 2019, the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union said it had received around 1,000 complaints from workers across UK branches of McDonald’s [1], although it was not clear whether these complaints were made against multiple franchisees or McDonald’s as the franchisor. The complaints were said to encompass a range of discriminatory behaviours, including sexual harassment.’

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Doughty Street Chambers, 29th January 2025

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk

UKSC to decide what ‘Woman’ means in the Equality Act 2010 – Oxford Human Rights Hub

‘The UK Supreme Court (UKSC) is poised to deliver its judgment in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers, examining whether “woman” under the Equality Act 2010 (EA) includes trans women with a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) issued under the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (GRA). This blog discusses why GRC holders should not be excluded from the EA’s sex discrimination protections.’

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Oxford Human Rights Hub, 30th January 2025

Source: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk

How to assess quantum for Injury to Feelings – 3 Paper Buildings

Posted January 7th, 2025 in chambers articles, compensation, damages, news, sex discrimination by tracey

‘Emma Greening reviews the case of Shakil v Samons Limited [2024] EAT 192, in which HHJ Tayler provides a useful recitation of how to approach quantum in an injury to feelings award.’

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3 Paper Buildings, 19th December 2024

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

GLD discriminated against senior lawyer on caring career break – Legal Futures

‘The Government Legal Department (GLD) discriminated against a senior lawyer by excluding her from a cost-of-living payment because she was on a career break at the time.’

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Legal Futures, 7th January 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Employment judge dismisses discrimination and unfair dismissal claims in flexible working dispute – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A paralegal who argued she was discriminated against due to her pregnancy, and was unfairly dismissed, has had her employment tribunal claims against a law firm dismissed after a judge found she had resigned from her role.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 6th January 2025

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

BSB “not fit for purpose”, says Proudman after tribunal dismisses case – Legal Futures

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has proven itself “unfit for purpose”, Dr Charlotte Proudman said yesterday after a disciplinary tribunal ruled she had no case to answer over tweets she sent.’

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Legal Futures, 13th December 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Barrister cleared of misconduct after criticising ‘boys’ club’ attitude in legal profession – The Guardian

‘A barrister has attacked misogyny in the legal profession after a misconduct case brought against her for calling out a “boys’ club” attitude was thrown out.’

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The Guardian, 12th December 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Birmingham city council agrees deal over equal pay claims – The Guardian

‘Birmingham city council has reached an agreement to settle historical equal pay claims that left the authority with liabilities estimated at £760m and pushed it into effective bankruptcy.’

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The Guardian, 10th December 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Bar Standards Board ‘failed to protect’ female barrister from online gender violence – The Guardian

‘A barrister has accused her professional regulator of failing to protect her from online gender violence, at the start of a disciplinary hearing against her for saying a judge had shown a “boys’ club attitude”.’

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The Guardian, 10th December 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Housing case law update: November 2024 – Local Government Lawyer

‘Michael Owen, Sumi Begum and May Atkinson round up the latest cases and court decisions of interest to housing associations and local authorities.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th December 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

AI “could amplify gender biases in legal profession” – Legal Futures

‘Increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) could “perpetuate or even amplify existing gender biases in the legal profession”, new research has warned.’

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Legal Futures, 4th December 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Appeal judge orders re-hearing of employment claim against council where most of written reasons of tribunal were copied from evidence or submissions of local authority – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Employment Appeal Tribunal has ordered a re-hearing of claims by an ex-employee against a local authority, after finding that most of the Employment Tribunal’s written reasons were copied from the council’s witness evidence or written submissions.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th November 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Splitting hairs: A review of the ‘related to’ test under section 26 Equality Act 2010 – Cloisters

‘In Finn v British Bung Manufacturing Company [2023] EAT 165, the EAT upheld an employment tribunal’s decision that calling a male colleague a ‘bald c**nt’ was harassment related to sex. The employer’s counterargument, that baldness is not an exclusively male characteristic, failed.’

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Cloisters, 8th October 2024

Source: www.cloisters.com