Calls to investigate judge amid misogyny claims

Ten women are campaigning for an employment tribunal judge to be investigated over accusations of bullying and misogyny.

The women allege Judge Philip Lancaster behaved inappropriately in their hearings, and claim the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) - which deals with judicial discipline - has failed to address their complaints.

Neither the JCIO, nor Judge Lancaster, have commented on the women's claims.

Alison McDermott told the BBC she was a "strong, independent" woman but had been left "traumatised and ill" by the way Judge Lancaster behaved towards her during a whistleblowing case against her former employer in Leeds in 2021.

Ms McDermott lost her case, although an appeal judge later found there had been errors in her tribunal and she won some minor concessions.

After she spoke to the BBC last year, other women came forward with complaints about Judge Lancaster.

Dr Hinaa Toheed was pursuing a maternity discrimination case which was heard by the judge in 2022. She said he described her case as an "omnishambles" on the first morning of the hearing.

"I honestly felt bullied by the judge," she told the BBC.

Dr Toheed said she was shouted at 16 times by Judge Lancaster during the tribunal.

She made a formal complaint which was considered by a higher judge in 2022, but his conclusion is being kept "in abeyance" [on hold] until Dr Toheed's appeal is decided.

To support their complaints Ms McDermott and Dr Toheed requested the notes from their tribunals - but the only notes were made by Judge Lancaster and they say they have been told those notes cannot be released. Audio recordings can now be made of proceedings but that was not allowed when their cases were heard.

The group of 10 women are now collectively fundraising to pay for legal action to force the JCIO to investigate their complaints.

Dr Charlotte Proudman, a barrister working on the case, called for a "transparent" system to ensure judges "can be held accountable when they get things wrong".

"If there are 10 women that are coming forward in respect of one judge, why is it that he is able to continue without proper – as it seems – due diligence and investigation in respect of his conduct?"

The JCIO told the BBC they could not comment on individual complaints; individual judges are also unable to comment on cases or matters of conduct.

Judge Lancaster has been an employment tribunal judge since 2007.

There are no publicly available figures for the number of complaints made against individual judges, but in its most recently published annual report, covering 2022-23, the JCIO received 1,620 complaints in total.

Just over a quarter of those complaints - 27% - related to inappropriate behaviour or comments by judicial office-holders.

The organisation said misconduct "remains rare", with about 20,000 judicial office-holders in post across the UK.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.