Barrister and writer Tim Kevan has withdrawn the BabyBarista Blog from The Times in reaction to their plans to hide it away behind a subscription-based paywall. He commented: “I didn’t start this blog for it to be the exclusive preserve of a limited few subscribers. I wrote it to entertain whosoever wishes to read it.” The re-launched site is at www.babybarista.com and includes numerous cartoons of the blog’s characters by Times cartoonist Alex Williams.
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Baby Barista Resigns from The Times over their Decision to Charge
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It's the one in Iceland, I can't spell it either
Now that the drama of the election is over and the novelty of the Coalition government is fading and before the whole country shuts down for the World Cup, it’s time for a brief reminder of the event that brought Europe to a standstill, Kenyan flower growers to the brink of bankruptcy and led to people having extended holidays all over the world. Yes: the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano (it’s only marginally easier to spell than to pronounce), which won’t quite go away (although The Guardian reported on 23rd May that it may now be dormant) and which caused almost as much pain to news broadcasters as to those stranded in airport departure lounges.
I admit I had to laugh and wondered whether it was an April Fool’s joke come early. I’m referring to the story in The Sun a few days ago about Chris Jarvis, the hoodie, who was refused entry to Southend Job Centre for refusing to take his hood down. He complained. Why? Because he claimed that his religious beliefs had been infringed, on account of him being a member of the International Church of Jediism – i.e he believed he was a Jedi Knight. The job centre subsequently apologised for offending him. He is quoted as saying “Muslims can walk around in whatever religious gear they like, so why can’t I?” ignoring the obvious fact that Islam is one of the world’s great religions dating back to the 600s, as opposed to a science fiction film by George Lucas in 1977. The clue, Chris, might be in the word “fiction”. I would have had more sympathy with him had he argued about the increasing tendency of organisations to cite “security” with glib abandon where there is little risk posed.
Happy New (Financial) Year! April 6th marks the new fiscal year as well as the start of the long-awaited General Election. It also marks the first of the two semi-annual dates on which the government introduces new legislation and alters allowances; which Herbert Smith call “Red Tape” day. I’ve already written about the most high-profile new measure coming into force: the new “fit note” system. Melanie Hatton at the “Law Donut” blog comments that it is too early to say whether fit notes will benefit employers or not, but makes the very useful point that employers should keep written records of reasons for those occasions when they don’t follow the G.Ps recommendations.
I haven’t blogged much on here recently, partly because of being busy at work but also because I have been setting up two other blogs and a podcast.
The first blog – ukblawgroundup – I’ve mentioned on here before. This is the name of the blog carnival for UK Lawyers which reviews the UK legal blogging scene. The next edition is published on the 31st March, with submissions due by 17th. Peninsulawyer will be hosting it.
Truly I can see the future. A few weeks ago I wrote on this blog about a website run by Gordon Turner and Damien McCarthy, the two employment lawyers who set up www.serial-litigants.com, designed to keep a check on those claimants who repeatedly bring claims against different employers (or potential employers) for the same thing – usually discrimination claims. I welcomed the scheme but thought that it might hit problems with the Data Protection Act, which governs what information can be held on people and how it can be used. Then, lo and behold, I received this email from Gordon Turner a few days ago;
Wot, no snowman?
I’m not referring to the five inches of snow outside as I write this, and the inevitable disruption caused to roads and railways for the next week, but instead I am considering what the main statutory changes affecting employment law issues in 2010 will be.
January
Not much will happen this month while everyone looks in astonishment at their credit card bills, but just a reminder that the Vento guidelines on awards to be made in cases of injury to feelings in discrimination cases look to have been increased late last year in the case of Da’Bell v NSPCC. The Court of Appeal case in Vento v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police in 2002 set three main bands for ETs to consider when making awards for injury to feelings;
Take a look at this article from The Daily Telegraph. A good idea in principle but I’m wondering about the Data Protection issues involved, as well as the subsequent satellite litigation that would undoubtedly result. Does anyone remember the blacklist of “difficult” employees compiled by The Consulting Association (see my previous post on the subject here)? Or the National Staff Dismissal Register (see here) ?
For those of you on Twitter I am being twitterviewed tonight by 22Twts. If you haven’t come across one yet, a Twitterview is a series of (22) questions posed by Lance Godard and my responses, in real time, on Twitter. Lance asks some really interesting and high-profile people to do his Twitterviews so I’m delighted to be asked to take part and be in such august company.
It starts at 20.00 GMT and please take a look when I will be revealing my deepest darkest secrets, or something, as well as talking about Dale Langley & Co and employment law. I don’t think Hello or Ok magazines will be terribly interested though.
The case of Grainger PLC v Nicholson UKEAT/0219/09/ZT gained lots of media coverage, including the front page of today’s The Independent (“Green beliefs win legal protection”). I covered the case when it was before the Employment Tribunal and Mr Nicholson initially won. The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has rejected the company’s appeal and held that Mr Nicholson’s belief in climate change is capable of qualifying as a philosophical belief within the meaning of the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003. These regulations protect workers with religious or philosophical beliefs from being discriminated against because of their religion or belief. This was a preliminary hearing on whether belief in climate change could qualify within the meaning of those Regulations. Mr Nicholson still needs to return to the ET for the case on its facts to be decided. That will include cross-examination of his beliefs to establish to what extent they govern his life.
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Climate change can be a philosophical belief
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