Reading 3. A sex discrimination case

In the UK, the law provides for sex-discrimination cases to be brought before an employment tribunal, which has the power to award compensation to the claimant. If the tribunal decides that the law has been broken, it can award compensation for financial loss, as well as for injury to feelings or health, which has been suffered as a result of the discriminatory treatment. Furthermore, a tribunal may also award aggravated damages if injury to feelings has been made worse by the manner in which the discrimination has been carried out. In certain circumstances, the tribunal may even order exemplary damages in order to punish the respondent.

The following article provides information about the outcome of a case heard by an employment tribunal.

Ex. 1. Quickly scan the article and decide which is the most appropriate headline.

1. LAWYERS FINED BY TRIBUNAL FOR DISCRIMINATORY BEHAVIOUR

2. HIGH AWARD OF DAMAGES IN DISCRIMINATION CASE

3. TRIBUNAL HEARS CONTROVERSIAL DISMISSAL CASE

Ex. 2. Read through the article more carefully and answer the questions below.

Solicitors are not immune from employment law cases being brought against them; in what is being heralded as a landmark case, a tribunal has awarded two female former employees of the London firm Sinclair, Roche and Temperley awards totaling £900,000. The employees successfully claimed that they were victims of sex discrimination and, in particular, that the discriminatory culture pervading the firm prevented women from becoming senior equity partners.

An interesting feature of the case is that the tribunal found that the way in which a partner at the firm behaved during the litigation was malicious and designed to discredit one of the applicants without having any real, foundation. In consequence, the tribunal imposed £3,000 extra aggravated damages. Such awards encourage caution in the way in which proceedings are defended.

1. Who do you think the text was written for?

2. What was the case about? Who were the claimants, and who were the defendants?

3. What is a 'landmark case'?

4. According to the claimants, what prevented them from becoming senior partners at their firm?

5. Why were extra damages imposed on the defendants?

6. What does the text say about the effect that the award of extra-aggravated damages would likely have on future proceedings of this kind?

7. Explain what you think is meant by a discriminatory culture at a law firm.