Employment law cases in the news – 31.10.2016 to 06.11.2016
In the latest of our series of posts on employment law cases in the news, we take a look at seven employment law cases that have made the news between 31 October and 6 November 2016
- Army chief says dismissed medic ‘could pose security risk’ because he wanted full inquest into death of Iraq weapons expert Dr David Kelly – A senior military medic admitted falsely accusing a doctor who blew the whistle on a suspected Army drugs racket of wrongly prescribing super-strength tablets to a wounded soldier. Major Carole Phillips told an employment tribunal that she had written a draft report to Dr Stephen Frost’s bosses stating that he had dispensed methadone sulphate which was six times the intended dose (The Mail Online)
- Whistleblowing judge told she was not an MoJ employee – A district judge who went public with her concerns about the justice system has been told she cannot be afforded protections as a whistleblower. The Employment Appeal Tribunal this week ruled that Claire Gilham was an office-holder and did not work under a contract of employment with the Ministry of Justice (The Law Society Gazette)
- City boss sues for £1m over claims of ‘unrelenting’ homophobic abuse – A gay asset manager who claims he was sacked by a top City hedge fund after an “unrelenting” campaign of homophobic abuse is suing his former bosses for more than £1 million. Paul Newton, 43, says he was subjected to limp-wristed hand gestures, jibes about his long hair, and he was regularly called “camp” and effeminate while working for Balyasny Europe Asset Management (The Evening Standard)
- Ex-VIP protection officer granted £450,000 by employment tribunal – A firearms officer has been awarded £457,664 in damages after winning a race discrimination employment tribunal against Cleveland Police (The Northern Echo)
- Chaplain accused of quoting ‘homophobic’ Bible verses appeals case – A prison chaplain who resigned after he was accused of quoting “homophobic” Bible verses has been given a chance to appeal his unfair dismissal case. According to Premier, Rev. Barry Trayhorn worked at HMP Littlehey in Bedfordshire as a gardener and volunteered to lead the services in the prison chapel (The Christian Times)
- Former Alex cancer surgeon investigated over patient deaths loses unfair dismissal case – A cancer surgeon sacked from Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital for gross misconduct after making whistle-blowing allegations about “management failings” has lost his unfair dismissal claim (The Evesham Journal)
- Disabled teacher sacked over Halloween film awarded £180,000 from York Council – A disabled teacher who was sacked for gross misconduct after showing the 18-certificate film Halloween to 16-year-old students has won at least £180,000 compensation from York Council (The Yorkshire Post)