Judge’s secrecy order challenged
2 February 2000
The High Court today (2nd February) gave the independent watchdog, Public Concern at Work, the go ahead to challenge a decision to kept secret details of cases brought under the new public disclosure laws.
Public Concern at Work - which promoted the new whistleblowing has - has been refused information about the first fifty cases brought under the Public Interest Disclosure Act. The charity needs to know why and how whistleblowers claim they are victimised so that it can review how the Act is working in practice.
Judge Prophet, the President of the Employment Tribunals, maintains that the public are only entitled to know of the existence of such claims. Public Concern at Work has been advised that this is wrong as Parliament has legislated that the public Register should include particulars of all claims.
Judge Prophet’s refusal makes a sharp break with recent practice which allowed the public and media to see full details of employment claims. His decision is also out of step with the approach of the Master of the Rolls, Lord Woolf, who has ensured that the public now has greater access to court papers.
Guy Dehn, director of the charity, welcomed today’s decision. “There is no good reason why claims under this public interest law should be kept secret. We simply do not understand why the Judge has denied people access to this information.”
Contact Guy Dehn 020 7404 6609