“As a lawyer acting for whistleblowers, I have been struck by the common message emerging from the public inquiries into scandals across very different sectors.”
The Independent, 3rd July 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“Peter Francis’s revelations show the need for a judicial inquiry – so the public can see how far our democracy has been eroded.”
The Guardian, 25th June 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The ERRA is an important piece of legislation, covering maters such as unfair dismissal, health and safety and copyright.”
One Inner Temple Lane, 24th June 2013
Source: www.1itl.com
“In the wake of the Edward Snowden disclosures, some fear that changes to UK whistleblowing laws could discourage those here wanting to spill the beans.”
The Guardian, 25th June 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Allegations that undercover officers were used to smear reputations of Stephen Lawrence’s family will be investigated, says Home Secretary.”
Ministry of Justice, 24th June 2013
Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
“The home secretary, Theresa May, came under pressure from the father of the murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence to set up an independent inquiry into the Guardian’s revelations that undercover police spied on and attempted to smear his family.”
The Guardian, 24th June 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Margaret Hodge says government must make clear deals should not stop whistleblowers from speaking out, after NAO report.”
The Guardian, 21st June 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 [‘ERRA’] received Royal Assent on 25 April 2013, bringing some significant changes to employment law and tribunal procedure. Gemma Roberts highlights the main reforms affecting employment tribunal, ACAS procedure and the changes to whistleblowing; Mugni Islam-Choudhury considers the amendments introduced to the Equality Act 2010.”
No. 5 Chambers, 6th June 2013
Source: www.no5.com
“The energy watchdog, Ofgem, has widened its investigation into alleged manipulation of gas and power markets and warned that doubts over price-setting could lead to higher household bills.”
The Guardian, 6th June 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The enactment of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (“PIDA”) was designed to introduce important protection for those blowing the whistle to draw attention to wrongdoing discovered in the workplace. During the passage of the Bill in the House of Lords, Lord Nolan commended those behind it ‘for so skilfully achieving the essential but delicate balance in this measure between the public interest and the interests of employers’. Fifteen years on, the verdict is less effusive. Significant gaps had been identified in the legislation, for example in failing to impose vicarious liability on employers for acts of victimisation carried out by their employees or agents. In other respects, however, PIDA has come to be seen a blunt instrument, enabling disgruntled employees to seek unlimited compensation despite having done nothing to further the public interest.”
Full story (PDF)
11 KBW, 22nd May 2013
Source: www.11kbw.com
“Tax avoidance has hit the news again, with Apple currently facing questions from the US Senate about its exploitation of Irish company law loopholes and David Cameron writing to offshore tax havens to push for more transparency over tax rules. As it happens, the High Court has just handed down a ruling in a case which raises many of the same issues.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 22nd May 2013
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
“Hardly a day goes by without whistleblowing being in the news. Just last month, two police officers were suspended in Cumbria for leaking information to the press about the expenses of an elected Police Commissioner. Last month, the Robert Francis Inquiry published its findings in to the high mortality rates at Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust, which found a culture of fear and silence throughout the organisation which discouraged staff from raising concerns about patient safety. According to research of the University of Greenwich, 80% of the public feel that whistleblowers should be protected. It seems like we are all agreed that we need more whistleblowers and that they should be protected. But why do we continue to hear about whistleblowers being victimised? As we have seen from the Cumbrian example, should police officers be suspended for raising concerns about the expenses of an elected official? When is whistleblowing in the public interest?”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 13th May 2013
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
“A three-year campaign to reform Britain’s ‘chilling’ libel laws is days away from victory after the government did a U-turn on a key proposal which would prevent companies using defamation laws to silence their critics.”
The Guardian, 22nd April 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The national whistleblowing charity has begun a public consultation exercise to help it establish whether the current law and legal protections are fit for purpose.”
OUT-LAW.com, 15th April 2013
Source: www.out-law.com
“The chief executive of Stobart Group, one of Britain’s biggest trucking companies, will go on trial for contempt after a whistleblower partially won a high court case against him and another executive.”
The Guardian, 11th April 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
McDaid v Nursing and Midwifery Council [2013] EWHC 586 (Admin); [2013] WLR (D) 132
“A professional conduct adjudication panel which had exceptionally decided to proceed in the absence of the accused was bound, in particular, to take reasonable steps to expose weaknesses in the case against the accused and to make such points on her behalf as the evidence permitted.”
WLR Daily, 21st March 2013
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
“Almost 5,000 council workers and civil servants across Britain have been gagged, The Telegraph has learned. But what are gagging orders and how do they work?”
Daily Telegraph, 2nd April 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“Hundreds of whistleblowers are now free to come forward with damaging
disclosures about the NHS after their gagging orders were retrospectively
lifted, Sir David Nicholson has told MPs.”
Daily Telegraph, 18th March 2013
Soruce: www.telegraph.co.uk
“Gagging clauses that stop departing NHS staff from speaking out about patient safety or care have been banned by the government.”
The Guardian, 14th March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The Attorney General has sent two reports dealing with allegations of misconduct at the SFO to a parliamentary committee.”
Attorney General’s Office, 4th March 2013
Source: www.gov.uk/ago
Related links: Sir Alex Allan report (PDF) and report by Tim Hurdle (PDF)
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