A tribunal judge in Britain is under fire after several women spoke out against him and accused him of bullying and sexist behavior. Judge Philip Lancaster hears employment disputes in the northern English city of Leeds, and in April, five women came forward and accused him of bias against females who present cases in his court.
Dr Hinaa Toheed appeared before the 67-year-old judge in 2022 and presented arguments that she had been unlawfully discriminated against because she was pregnant. Toheed made a formal complaint about Lancaster and stated that he became an advocate for her opponent and was so aggressive toward her that her legal team began jotting down the moments he shouted at her, amassing a total of 16 instances by the end of day one.
Another woman identified only as Andra, filed a similar complaint the same year, saying he repeatedly interrupted her and dismissed her points as “irrelevant.” An appeal court agreed with her and found “serious material procedural irregularities” and examples of the judge intervening to prevent Andra from asking questions.
The more recent allegations go even further and accuse Judge Lancaster of psychological abuse and refusing parties’ right to a fair hearing. The scandal has prompted public debate in Britain about judicial accountability and the lack of transparency in what some believe is an archaic and biased system. Alison McDermott, who complained about Lancaster in 2021, said, “I’m fed up with this nonsense. The whole system is in urgent need of a comprehensive investigation.”
Media reports indicate that the complaints registered by the women were effectively dismissed without investigation, and they now plan to take their case to members of the country’s Parliament to demand an overhaul of the judiciary. They claim the system is organized to protect judges from scrutiny rather than to ensure fairness or justice. Eight women in total have complained about Lancaster and say they will not back down. They described the judge as “patronizing, degrading, psychologically abusive, and misogynistic.”
Employment tribunals are specialist UK courts that hear and decide upon disputes between employers and employees. Just over 600 judges hear approximately 30,000 cases per year.
