Court cases/Judicial Reviews/ET/ETAs

Settlement in Randall v Trent College

'A chaplain who used a sermon to tell pupils they did not have to believe in "LGBT stuff" has reached a legal agreement with the school that dismissed him.
Rev Bernard Randall was sacked by Trent College in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, in 2019, two months after the sermon. He appealed and his dismissal, external was overturned, but he was later made redundant after refusing reduced hours.
After losing an unfair dismissal claim, his case had been set for a new tribunal over possible bias on the panel that made the ruling, and Trent College was ordered to pay Randall about £20,000 in costs, according to a court document.
Advocacy group Christian Concern said a confidential settlement had since been reached.'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8e3deyrjkno

More on Flaherty v Unison

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/2096306271364186467.html

'UNISON have produced a response. It’s, as expected, a grudging acknowledgement that they were breaking the law and an even more grudging agreement to follow said law, even though they don’t want to.'

Absolutely! Thank you.

(my bold)

'On 29 July 2026, the Certification Officer confirmed in Flaherty v UNISON D/9/26-27 that the union breached its rules by permitting a trans woman to stand as a candidate for election to a seat on its National Executive Committee (NEC) that was reserved for women under the positive action provisions of the Equality Act 2010. Marianne Tutin represented the successful complainant, Mr Flaherty, before the Certification Officer.
UNISON’s 2025 NEC elections included two contested disabled members’ seats: one reserved for a woman and one a general seat. Four candidates were nominated for the woman’s seat, including a trans woman. On 16 April 2025, the Supreme Court gave judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16 (For Women Scotland), confirming that, for the purposes of the Equality Act, the terms ‘man’ and ‘woman’ refer to biological sex. UNISON did not take any steps to prevent the trans woman from remaining as a candidate. The candidate was not elected, but received a material share of the vote.
Mr Flaherty challenged the union’s decision. After receiving no response from UNISON, he brought a complaint before the Certification Officer under s.108A(2)(a) TULRCA 1992, complaining that UNISON had breached its rules governing the election of officers by allowing an ineligible candidate to stand, thereby potentially preventing or deterring eligible candidates from standing. UNISON argued that the complaint was academic or hypothetical because a biological female had ultimately been elected to the seat.
The Certification Officer upheld Mr Flaherty’s complaint. He concluded that, following For Women Scotland, only biological women were eligible to stand for seats reserved for women under the Equality Act’s positive action provisions. The eligibility requirements had to be satisfied throughout the nomination and election stages. By permitting a trans woman to stand as a candidate for a seat ring-fenced for a biological woman, UNISON had acted in breach of its rules.
Although the Certification Officer declined to make an enforcement order, as there was no continuing threat of a further breach and a re-run of the election was not necessary, he noted that UNISON had (during the proceedings) accepted the legal effect of For Women Scotland in respect of its seats introduced under the positive action provisions of the Equality Act and confirmed it was revising its procedures to ensure compliance before its next NEC elections in 2027.
The wider significance of the decision lies in the Certification Officer’s invitation for trade unions and employers associations to review their rules, procedures and guidance to ensure compliance with For Women Scotland, if they have not done so already. That recommendation is likely to have implications across the trade union movement. Many unions have reserved seats based on sex that were introduced under the Equality Act’s positive action provisions. The decision makes clear that those arrangements must be interpreted and operated in compliance with the Supreme Court’s judgment.'

It was misreported, and what she actually said was ' all rapists are men'. Which is merely a fact. Its an egregious wrong to have sacked her. I was glad to see a fundraiser gathering speed. And I hope she appeals.

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/northumbria-detective-sacked-after-saying-34382013.amp

'A detective who said "all men" were rapists and should be given a curfew to stop sex attacks at night has been sacked. Detective Constable Rachel Fletcher, who worked in safeguarding at Northumbria Police, has been subject to a misconduct hearing. '
She was accused of saying "all men" were rapists and they should be given a 9pm curfew to stop sex attacks at night. Det Cons Fletcher was also accused of describing transgender women as "c**ks in frocks".

A panel, sitting at Houghton-le-Spring police station, found that she made the comments and had breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour in relation to Discreditable Conduct, Authority, Respect and Courtesy and Equality and Diversity. Chair of the panel, Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Hill, said the proved allegations amounted to gross misconduct. '

Pathways puberty blocker trial - JR

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0jl4np49w1o

'A high-profile clinical trial of drugs that can delay puberty in children questioning their gender can go ahead after the High Court rejected a legal challenge by campaigners.
The Pathways trial, run by researchers at King's College London (KCL), will start recruiting more than 220 children aged between 11 and 16 years old from 1 August.'

Sex Matters v National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and British Transport Police (BTP)

"The High Court has ruled against Sex Matters in our case against the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and British Transport Police (BTP) over their “consensual” searching policies."

sex-matters.org/posts/updates/challenging-the-shadow-strip-searching-regime/

Allison Pearson v Essex Police PCC

https://archive.ph/N9Ju7

Allison Pearson, the Telegraph journalist, has received an apology and five-figure payout from Essex’s police and crime commissioner (PCC), after suing him for defamation.
Roger Hirst, the elected official who oversees policing in Essex, has issued a public apology for comments he made after police officers visited Pearson over a post on X that the police alleged incited racial hatred.

Agree, Utopia. A really fucking weird, and to my unqualified mind, incorrect, judgment.

https://genderblog.net/morrison-loses-tribunal-claim/

Sara Morrison v Belfast Film Festival

A loss for Sara Morrison.

'A former Inclusion/Audience Development Coordinator has lost her claim against Belfast Film Festival for discrimination, harassment and constructive dismissal.

Sara Morrison was employed by the Belfast Film Festival (BFF) for more than four years between February2020 and November 2024, when she resigned.'

SM is considering her options.

'Sylvester misgendered CD on 16 February 2023'

Remember that the wheels of justice grind slow. These are cases from years back, only now coming to be settled. Of course many employers are continuing to discriminate, also.

Karenne Sylvester v Uni of Manchester

Sylvester wins £51k in disability discrimination after UofM failed to take into account her dyspraxia made it harder for her to use requested wrong sex pronouns.

https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/employee-with-dyspraxia-who-misgendered-trans-colleague-wins-disability-claim/