Mermaids vs LGB Alliance and Charity Commissioner - First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber) Thread 3

[nauticant]

The Tribunal started on 9 September, witness testimony started on 12 September.

To obtain access to view the proceedings, send a request email to [email protected] about case CA/2021/0013 - Mermaids vs Charity Commissioner and LGB Alliance and ask for permission to join. You then have to provide certain information and agree to a judge's direction in order to be able to join.

There is also live tweeting from twitter.com/tribunaltweets.

Abbreviations:

J or judge: Presiding Judge, Judge Lynn Griffin
AJ or Judge: Assisted by Judge Joe Neville
MG: Mermaids counsel is Michael Gibbon KC
KM: LGB Alliance counsel is Karon Monaghan KC
AR: Karon is assisted by Akua Reindorf
IS: Charity Commission counsel is Iain Steele

(Also the witnesses, PR: Paul Roberts, JN: John Nicolson. BB: Belinda Bell, BJ: Beverley Jackson, KH: Kate Harris, and EG: Eileen Gallagher.)

Thread 1: mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4629679-mermaids-versus-lgb-alliance-in-court-today
Thread 2: mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4632780-mermaids-vs-lgb-alliance-and-charity-commissioner-first-tier-tribunal-general-regulatory-chameber-thread-2
Thread 3: ongoing

Witnesses for the applicant (Mermaids):

Paul Roberts - CEO of LGBT Consortium (12 September)
John Nicolson MP - Deputy Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT+ Rights (13 September)
Dr Belinda Bell - Chair of trustees of Mermaids (13 September)

Witnesses for the respondent (LGB Alliance):

Beverley Jackson - Co-founder and trustee of LGB Alliance (13-14 September)
Kate Harris - Co-founder and trustee of LGB Alliance (14-15 September)
Eileen Gallagher OBE - Chair of trustees of LGB Alliance (15 September)

Witness Statements:

Paul Roberts: lgballiance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Paul-Roberts-Witness-Statement-Exhibits.pdf
John Nicolson MP - lgballiance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/John-Nicolson-Witness-Statement-Exhibits.pdf
Dr Belinda Bell: lgballiance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Belinda-Bell-Witness-Statement-Exhibits.pdf
Beverley Jackson: lgballiance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Bev-Jackson-Witness-Statement-Exhibits-1.pdf
Kate Harris: lgballiance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Kate-Harris-Witness-Statement-Exhibits.pdf
Eileen Gallagher (two statements): lgballiance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Eileen-Gallagher-Witness-Statement-Exhibits.pdf lgballiance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Eileen-Gallagher-Second-Witness-Statement-Exhibits.pdf

Submissions:

lgballiance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Volume-4-Submissions-CA.2021.0013.pdf

(Header format follows the gold standard established by @ickky)

post updated by MNHQ at OP's request

Waiting for the conference host to join. I think we should be able to choose the voice, I would have Christopher Walken or Morgan Freeman.

Looks like Tribunal Tweets are on it:
twitter.com/tribunaltweets/status/1589548506955788290
Good Morning. We resume hearing of Mermaids v Charity Commission & LGB Alliance which went part heard on 15 Sep 2022. The hearing is due to resume at 10am with submissions from all sides.
You can catch up on this case on our substack here which has coverage of witness evidence:

Following along, Can't watch live because not resident in UK.

Following along whilst pretending to work.

Do we know if this is the last leg, with a decision after Christmas sometime?

Also (sorry for the stupid questions) if Mermaids lose, is there any costs awarded against them?

A decision could easily take 3+ months. Could be quicker but I won't be holding my breath.

in some chambers an award of costs may only be made where costs have been incurred as a result of a party’s, or representative’s, unreasonable conduct:
...
(ii) In the General Regulatory Chamber (see rule 10 of the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (General Regulatory Chamber) Rules 2009).

Definitely the last leg - the two sides are summing up today and tomorrow.

I don't know who goes first, though. Will be interesting to see whether the LGBA barrister refers to recent events re Mermaids trustee being suspended and the announcement of an investigation by the Charities Commission.

@LipbalmOrKnickers I don't remember requesting access for this part (had access last time) but I guess I must have as I've been sent details to log in. I can't remember what the pass code was last time so not sure if it's a new link or I'm waiting to join the old session! I will find out at 10

Great, thanks. Will be following on tribunal tweets.

@Chrysanthemum5

It is a new link, but the same PIN.

Thanks!

👍🏻

Lots of interest and over 60 still waiting to be allowed in

Are members of the public watching in the room?

^A few of you are intending to attend in person, and as in September the location is Field House: www.find-court-tribunal.service.gov.uk/courts/field-house-tribunal-hearing-centre^

I’m not in yet. Still got the soothing voice man screen.

Soothing voice for me too. This bit is always nerve wracking: a) will I be let in and b) have I picked the right camera settings.

Did he just say not the first time in this tribunal that facts have changed?

Got in just now.

I’m still waiting for the conference host to join

Still waiting

Thanks @Chrysanthemum5 & @Ameanstreakamilewide - found the emails in my spam folder (wtf??) Now waiting for the conference host to join. ✊

Yep, same.

@nauticant how many people are already in, would you say?

Great @LipbalmOrKnickers

About 30 people are listed at the moment.

Just in. Unlike Allison's case I think they're checking names against a list before admitting.