More women are suing Leeds employment tribunal judges over bullying

Three other women have accused judges of bullying during labor court hearings.

She said Judge Philip Lancaster was condescending and intimidating and made her feel like a fool when presenting her case. One said he felt his actions in his case were psychological abuse.

The three women then spoke the BBC reported in April where five women accused Mr. Lancaster of bullying and sexist behavior.

A spokesman for the Office of Justice, which supports the judiciary in courts in England and Wales, said judges could not comment on proceedings due to constitutional arrangements.

He said allegations of judicial misconduct could be referred to the Office of Judicial Conduct Investigations.

The three women all appeared before Judge Lancaster at an employment tribunal in Leeds between 2021 and this year.

In October 2022, Jackie Moore represented her daughter who brought a case of unfair dismissal and disability discrimination against her employer.

Ms Moore has spent two years preparing the case and has had several preliminary hearings before different judges who have found her to be “efficient and polite.”

However, he said nothing prepared him for the full five-day hearing before Judge Lancaster. He said he was “in front” from the start.

“He thought I would never understand.”

Ms. Moore said the judge repeatedly snapped at her and “blocked or challenged” questions she asked the witness that was provided by her daughter’s employer.

He said that he felt “battered, intimidated and bullied by people, throwing weight about”.

When she read accounts by other women who had appeared before the judge she realized she was not alone.

Employment Tribunal is a special court that manages disputes between employers and employees. There are approximately 30,000 hearings in Scotland, England and Wales each year, mainly involving issues such as unfair dismissal, redundancy terms and discrimination. Northern Ireland has a separate system.

In April BBC News heard allegations from five other women about Judge Lancaster’s behavior. The woman, who is facing him in a separate case, said she wanted to highlight “degrading behaviour”, including what she called “misogyny and bullying”.

Earlier this year, another woman spent seven days in a hearing before Judge Lancaster, having brought a case of age discrimination, constructive dismissal and unfair discrimination against the employer.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she felt “fully prepared” because she had spent more than a year working on the case, even attending another hearing in Leeds to see how the litigants – people representing themselves – were doing. treated.

Again, he said the initial hearing had gone well. “Everyone allowed me to speak, no one shut me down, no one made me feel worthless.”

That experience, the 45-year-old said, was in direct contrast to the way he was treated by Judge Lancaster.

“They made my life hell,” she recalled. “He put his hand on his head, and seemed not interested in what I had to say. He repeatedly asked me why I asked (my employer’s witness) certain questions and his voice several times. I thought it was pointless.” He is now appealing the verdict.

Angela Gates brought a disability discrimination and constructive dismissal case against her employer in 2021.

He said the hearing in front of Judge Lancaster made him feel “like a villain on trial”.

He said, “I feel like I can’t give my side of anything.”

The four-day hearing took place on Zoom, and Ms Gates, 53, said Judge Lancaster regularly shouted at her, repeatedly telling her to shut up. He said the behavior was “appalling and humiliating, psychological torture”, adding: “I don’t believe he was given a fair trial.”

In sentencing, the judge said he agreed with Ms Gates’ defense description of “paranoia”, saying it was not criticism but “reality, due to poor mental health”. Ms Gates said she found this very offensive.

“They don’t have the medical training to reach that conclusion,” he said.

He appealed the judgment but did not complain about the behavior of Judge Lancaster as, like many other litigants, “you are told not to complain on the grounds of bias”.

“You feel it will affect your case if you get personal about the judge.”

A spokesperson for the Office of Justice said appeals can be filed with any court where a party believes there was an error of law or that it did not receive a fair hearing.

But bringing a complaint to a judge in the employment court system is extremely difficult. The judge’s notes are considered official court records but there is no obligation to release them. Since late last year, proceedings in some courts have been recorded but there is also no obligation on the courts to release audio or provide transcripts to prosecutors.

One of the women who originally complained about Judge Lancaster’s behavior, Alison McDermott, believes the justice system is completely irresponsible.

“I am tired of this nonsense, the lack of transparency and fairness in the courts in England,” he said. “The whole system needs a full investigation.”