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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

The chair of SEEN is being sued.

1000 replies

PriOn1 · 19/03/2024 18:07

We can’t post Crowdfunder links here, but there is now a Crowdfunder entitled “Chair of SEEN sued for saying 'only women menstruate'by Elspeth Duemmer Wrigley”

Text from website:

Who are you?
I'm Elspeth Duemmer Wrigley. I work for an arms-length body to a government department (part of the Civil Service) and love my job. I'm also gender critical, and chair of a governmental department SEEN (Sex Equality and Equity Network). SEEN represents those who are gender critical in our workplace.
What can you tell us?
The way I describe the case is restrained by my situation. I am writing this in a personal capacity, but am still employed and must comply with my employer's code of conduct and the Nolan Principles of Public Life. This places certain restrictions on me.
I’ve given as much information as I can, but I hope that what I set out below is sufficient to understand what’s going on.
So what happened?
I work for an arms-length body to the main government department. The case has been brought by a claimant who is an employee of another arms-length body. The claimant is taking their own employer, the government department and me to court.
Among other matters, the claimant is suing the government department for allowing our departmental SEEN network to exist (on the basis that the existence of the network has the effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and/or offensive environment for the claimant).
What is the SEEN network?
SEEN (the Sex Equality and Equity Network) is an official cross-governmental staff network. We also have networks in three government departments (including the one being taken to court). SEEN is known as the gender critical network and is the only civil service network that clearly treats sex and sexual orientation as concepts defined in the Equality Act, which should never be conflated with or replaced by ‘gender identity’.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
58
MyLadyDisdainlsYetLiving · 18/06/2026 14:24

@justabaker are you able to shed any light?

Ereshkigalangcleg · 18/06/2026 16:52

I guess TT might get permission if they are in the courtroom for the case, I’m not sure it’s very open justice for them not to allow it, with the names redacted etc.

Propertylover · 18/06/2026 17:00

I think it might be like Faye’s case that TT can tweet but we can’t watch. It’s about anonymity for the claimants.

Tallisker · 18/06/2026 17:39

But the claimant was denied anonymity at a previous date?

Propertylover · 18/06/2026 18:34

I know one claimant has been named and I maybe confusing this with another case but I recall there is a case with 2 claimants one named one not.

Chersfrozenface · 18/06/2026 21:03

Anyone else had an email update from Elspeth?

terffert · 18/06/2026 21:08

Yup! No RMW any more, boo. And I thought JR was in this one, ah well. Still no indication it's possible to listen, though.

The hearing will formally begin on 22nd June 2026, in Leeds Employment Tribunal, and is scheduled to last 3 weeks.

The Claimant (Tempest) is no longer being represented by Robin White, but is now being represented by Helen Hogben from Trinity Chambers.

Defra and the RPA are represented by Alex Line from Outer Temple Chambers.

As you know, SEEN is represented by our marvellous team: Naomi Cunningham from Outer Temple Chambers and Jon Heath from JR Levins.

Rightsraptor · 18/06/2026 21:18

Tallisker · 18/06/2026 10:32

Is there any update on whether this can be followed online? Or if it can be attended in person? I see Tribunal Tweets are hoping to follow it.

You can usually go in person and I know some are planning to attend.

anyolddinosaur · 19/06/2026 13:42

It's not totally clear from that whether there are still 2 claimants against the employer or just Tempest. RMW was acting in Andreas's case so him no longer being involved suggests that entire case was discontinued but the secrecy suggests part of it still continues. The claimant in Andreas's case was granted anonymity, Tempest was not.

Not clear if SEEN have full party status, hopefully they do.

Elspeth has been reading comments so no direct way to ask questions but maybe an indirect one.

Hoping Nick Wallis will be there too.

anyolddinosaur · 20/06/2026 20:35

Nice to see the garden growing - still space for more plants.

Iamnotalemming · 20/06/2026 20:37

Hmmm I wonder why RMW no longer acting ...

Propertylover · 21/06/2026 17:07

I have checked CourtServe and the case is listed but it states “order made pursuant to rule 49” which is a privacy or anonymity order. I think this case will not be open to on line observers.

We will have to rely on the excellent TT and Nick Wallis.

terffert · 22/06/2026 11:17

It's now more than an hour after the scheduled start of the hearing, and still not a word from either Tribunal Tweets or Nick Wallis. Legal bods, is it possible that it has been tied down so tight that people aren't even allowed to report that they aren't allowed to report? This is getting odd.

biddyboo · 22/06/2026 11:31

terffert · 22/06/2026 11:17

It's now more than an hour after the scheduled start of the hearing, and still not a word from either Tribunal Tweets or Nick Wallis. Legal bods, is it possible that it has been tied down so tight that people aren't even allowed to report that they aren't allowed to report? This is getting odd.

Did Nick Wallis say he would be reporting on it?

anyolddinosaur · 22/06/2026 11:34

I was hoping Nick would be there as he often is - I dont do X so wouldnt know if he's said anything.

Not unusual for these cases to start late while there is legal wrangling and in this case I suspect they are discussing reporting restrictions right now.

terffert · 22/06/2026 11:35

biddyboo · 22/06/2026 11:31

Did Nick Wallis say he would be reporting on it?

Not that I saw, but then I wouldn't - someone upthread suggested that he would be, don't know what the source was. TribunalTweets have a page on their substack for the case, dated June 3 2026 i.e. not left over from long ago, but they have nothing on it (bar one comment asking whether they'd be reporting, with no answer).

tribunaltweets.substack.com/p/tempest-vs-defra-and-rural-payments

terffert · 22/06/2026 11:37

anyolddinosaur · 22/06/2026 11:34

I was hoping Nick would be there as he often is - I dont do X so wouldnt know if he's said anything.

Not unusual for these cases to start late while there is legal wrangling and in this case I suspect they are discussing reporting restrictions right now.

That could be, yes. Here's hoping the blackout, if that's what it is, ends soon! Presumably at the very least anyone who is physically in court will be able to confirm for us (during a break in proceedings) that the case is going ahead.

terffert · 22/06/2026 11:44

Naomi last posted on twitter at 9:24 this morning - hopefully that just meant she was superbly well prepared for proceedings, and not that she knew they weren't happening! (Well, I suppose we should be happy if what it means is that she knew she wasn't going to be needed because there was about to be a settlement made that gave Elspeth everything she could want...)

anyolddinosaur · 22/06/2026 11:52

Could also be an attempt to get the entire case thrown out as having no reasonable prospect of success.

anyolddinosaur · 22/06/2026 14:02

@Justabaker Can you tell us anything? No open justice if we cant even know if the case is going ahead when they must have broken for lunch by now.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 22/06/2026 15:10

anyolddinosaur · 22/06/2026 11:52

Could also be an attempt to get the entire case thrown out as having no reasonable prospect of success.

I can’t imagine how this case could have a reasonable prospect of success.

terffert · 22/06/2026 15:52

Stranger and stranger. @Rightsraptor you said you knew some people were planning to attend in person - are you in contact with anyone specific so that you might be able to get an update? @prh47bridge can you guess what the total radio silence about this big case is most likely to mean?

Propertylover · 22/06/2026 17:22

The radio silence across the board is unusual. I would have expected TT or Elspeth to provide an update even if it’s we can’t say anything.

I know Day 1 can be for legal points and also for reading but this is unusual. .

SmudgeBrown · 22/06/2026 17:29

A man in one agency is suing another agency to try to force them to disband the SEEN Network, and to discipline its Chair for expressing sex realist views. However, the case against its Elspeth personally has been withdrawn. As someone said on X, But why on earth is the court allowing the rest of the proceedings to go ahead?

terffert · 22/06/2026 17:56

Ah, that's interesting. At courtserve.net, the Press List for tomorrow has been issued a few minutes ago, and this case (with Order made pursuant to Rule 49) is not on it. It's not just because tomorrow would no longer be the first day, because there are other cases that were on both today's and tomorrow's Press List - it looks as though the Press List includes all cases that are on, whether they are new or continuing. So I think we can take it that for whatever reason, the case is not actually going on tomorrow. Of course that doesn't necessarily mean it's over completely.

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