Latest news with #openjustice
The Sun
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Liverpool car horror proves police transparency must always apply — whoever is to blame
Open justice WHEN an incident unfolds as shocking and horrific as the car ramming at Liverpool FC's trophy parade, the public has a right to know as much information as possible, as quickly as possible. Following Axel Rudakubana's murderous rampage in Southport last July, silence from the authorities allowed conspiracy theory, rumour and deliberate disinformation to fester online. 1 This, in turn, fuelled terrible scenes of violence and destructive riots. By revealing the ethnicity and age of the arrested suspect in the Liverpool incident within two hours - and swiftly ruling out terrorism - the police stopped malicious or kneejerk attempts to spread false narratives. They were right to do so, and local politicians have expressed their support for the decision. It's a welcome step back from recent sinister attempts by police and Government to muzzle our free press. But the real test of our authorities' new-found spirit of sensible openness will come the next time there is a tragic incident or terrorist attack. As Jonathan Hall, the Government's terror law reviewer, points out: 'The lesson has been learnt, don't give any fuel to the conspiracy merchants. 'You've got to roll with it. 'If it had been a Muslim, an Asian, a black man or woman, they would have to say that. 'You've got to be fully consistent.' Having now embraced transparency, the public will not understand why they shouldn't always be given the full picture by the cops. Whatever that may be. E-bike blitz So Government moves to crush mopeds, bikes and e-scooters used by criminal yobs within 48 hours rather than weeks to curb re-offending should be applauded. Just one problem: how does this get-tough approach sit with Labour's prison reforms. After all, they will mean thugs convicted of crimes which should attract a 12 months sentence are now a lot less likely to go to jail? Reform rebirth BRITAIN isn't having enough kids. Instead, we have come to rely on importing more and more young workers from overseas in a faltering bid to get the economy growing, and pay the bills for our ageing society.
Telegraph
14-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
NHS trust in trans doctor tribunal fails to ban public from watching case
An NHS board has failed in its attempt to prevent the public from watching a tribunal about a trans doctor allowed to use a female hospital changing room. NHS Fife asked the judge overseeing the case brought by the nurse Sandie Peggie to remove public access to an online live stream of the employment tribunal's proceedings. The Telegraph disclosed last month that the board wanted to restrict 'virtual viewing' of the tribunal so that only journalists could watch it when it restarts in July. NHS Fife said the first stage of the tribunal was marred by 'technical issues and interruptions' from public observers watching online, which it said caused 'significant delays' to proceedings. But it is understood that Sandy Kemp, the tribunal judge, has ruled that the public should be allowed to watch the case, in line with the principles of open justice. He is also said to have rejected an application by NHS Fife to ban an open justice campaign group from posting live social media updates about the case on X. The health board accused Ms Peggie of misconduct after she challenged the presence of Dr Beth Upton, who is a trans woman, in a female changing room at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy. In May last year, Ms Peggie submitted a formal claim to an employment tribunal against NHS Fife and Dr Upton for sexual harassment, belief discrimination and victimisation. The nurse complained of being required to share a single-sex space with someone she believed to be male and being victimised for holding a gender-critical belief that biological sex is immutable. The first part of the Peggie tribunal was held two months before the Supreme Court ruled in a separate case that access to female-only areas should be based on biological sex. This week, Ms Peggie welcomed the ruling and challenged NHS Fife to dump its policy of 'permitting any man who identifies as a woman access to female-only, single-sex spaces'. For Women Scotland, the feminist campaign group that won the Supreme Court case, said it was delighted that the tribunal judge had 'upheld the principles of open justice' by allowing the public to continue watching proceedings. Trina Budge, one of the group's directors, said: 'NHS Fife has behaved appallingly in seeking to have the remainder of this case heard behind closed doors. 'Yet another humiliation' 'They may well have good cause to be ashamed of how they have treated female staff, but it's vital this case plays out as it should in public. 'The details of how Sandie Peggie has been treated have shocked many women, and given the recent Supreme Court case ruling on single-sex spaces, there is much interest in seeing how this is resolved by the tribunal.' Tess White, the Scottish Tories shadow equalities minister, said: 'This is yet another humiliation for NHS Fife and a welcome victory for common sense. 'Given the huge public interest in this case, it was appalling the health board was hellbent on keeping the public in the dark from proceedings.' Last September, NHS Fife and Dr Upton sought an order to hold the tribunal in private and prevent the publication of the doctor's name, citing concerns about the medic's health and safety. This was rejected on the grounds that the issues involved were of legitimate public debate and that open justice must be upheld. A live stream of the tribunal, which started on Feb 3 this year, attracted huge numbers of public observers. But the viewing system that was used was similar to that in a conference call. This meant that those observers who failed to mute their computer's microphones or switch off their cameras could be seen and heard on a large screen that had been erected in the tribunal. Hearing behind closed doors In one example, a woman who logged in could be seen and heard drying her hair. The judge limited access to the live stream to accredited journalists for the final days. NHS Fife argued this temporary restriction on 'non-media observers' should be made permanent when the tribunal restarts on July 16. Following a hearing behind closed doors last month, the judge has now ruled the board's request would be too prohibitive and the public should be able to view the live stream when the tribunal resumes. It is understood he ruled errors in some of the tweets about the case from the Tribunal Tweets account did not justify banning it from providing further live coverage. Tribunal Tweets permission to live-tweet proceedings in Peggie vs NHS Fife & Dr Upton remains in place. The respondents' application was denied. The tribunal is scheduled to resume on 16 July 2025. — Tribunal Tweets (@tribunaltweets) May 14, 2025 An NHS Fife spokesman said: 'An approach was made by the tribunal for comment after a member of the public raised concerns about the accuracy of the live-tweeting from the Tribunal Tweets account during the earlier proceedings. 'Our legal representatives subsequently provided feedback to the tribunal and we accept today's decision.'
