Please check back as we add new items that either specifically affect the firm or the wider legal profession.
10/04/24
A tribunal has ruled that describing an expectant mother as "emotional" at work constitutes discrimination. The use of such language by employers risks perpetuating stereotypes about pregnant employees and implies they lack control over their emotions, according to an employment judge.
The ruling was made in the case of Nicola Hinds, a 37-year-old account manager, who faced dismissal after her manager referred to her as "emotional and tearful" and portrayed her as "hormonal" when she raised concerns about her workload. Hinds, who represented herself against her employer, FTSE 250 giant Mitie, successfully claimed pregnancy discrimination and constructive dismissal.
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11/03/24
A tribunal has ruled that the dismissal of Shelly-Ann Malabver-Goulbourne, headteacher of Northwold Primary School in east London, was unfair after she was sacked for an incident involving her toddler son.
Ms. Malabver-Goulbourne was attempting to prevent her three-year-old from playing with hand sanitizer in her office when she lightly tapped his hand with two fingers to get his attention. This action was witnessed by a teacher responsible for child safety, who accused her of harming her son. Subsequently, an official complaint was filed, and the police were called. However, the authorities deemed the mother's actions as "reasonable chastisement" within parental rights.
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04/01/24
A woman in her 60s from Australia has successfully secured the legal right to collect her deceased husband's sperm, as she convinced a judge that they had contemplated having another child before his passing. The 62-year-old, whose identity remains confidential for legal reasons, intends to use the sperm for fertilization with a donated egg and subsequently have a surrogate carry the child to term.
The legal proceedings took place in Perth, Western Australia, where the court learned that the couple began considering expanding their family after the tragic loss of their 30-year-old son in a car accident in 2019. Six years earlier, their 29-year-old daughter had drowned during a fishing trip.
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07/12/23
In a tragic incident this week near a bustling London train station, a teenage boy lost his life in a stabbing incident. The 17-year-old fell victim to a knife attack on Sutton High Street at approximately 7 pm.
Prompt responses from the Metropolitan Police and London Ambulance Service (LAS) saw officers and paramedics attempting to save the teenager's life, but unfortunately, he was declared deceased at the scene. As of now, no arrests have been made, and an urgent manhunt is underway to locate the perpetrator.
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