UK tribunal member rebuked for bias in Christian teacher’s case: 'Undermining trust'
A member of a United Kingdom employment tribunal was formally rebuked for misconduct after his anti-Christian and politically charged comments surfaced online, prompting his recusal from a case involving a Christian teacher.
The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office, supported by the senior president of the tribunals and the lord chancellor, found that Jed Purkis' past remarks describing Conservatives as "tumours" compromised the perceived impartiality of the judiciary, according to the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting the teacher.
Guidelines for judicial conduct underline the risk of "undermining trust" in the judiciary through public expressions that could suggest a lack of objectivity. Purkis was engaged in a politically sensitive and strongly disputed case concerning whistleblower claims and religious discrimination when his comments were discovered.
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The teacher, identified as "Hannah," filed a lawsuit against Nottinghamshire County Council and a primary school for victimization due to whistleblowing, unfair dismissal and discrimination based on her Christian beliefs.
In her role at the primary school, Hannah raised concerns about the school's transgender-affirming policies, which she claimed posed risks to children. Her objections, grounded in her Christian beliefs and supported by expert evidence, were dismissed by the school, leading to her dismissal and the subsequent legal battle.
Purkis and Employment Judge Victoria Butler, who had previously presided over a similar case involving Rev. Dr. Bernard Randall and ruled against him, were overseeing Hannah's trial.
During the trial, comments made by Purkis on social media came to light, where he labeled Tories as "tumours" and criticized the presence of religious individuals in public offices. He said his social media timelines were "clogged up with right wing nutjobs." His online remarks included contentious statements such as those against Conservative MP Lee Anderson and a derogatory comment about former Attorney General Suella Braverman, which raised serious questions about his impartiality in the ongoing trial.
The issue of bias was pushed to the forefront by Hannah's lawyer, Pavel Stroilov, who argued for a recusal based on the potential for subconscious bias, which was evident from Purkis' public and enduring social media presence. The tribunal, acknowledging the need to uphold judicial integrity, decided that the entire panel, including Purkis, would step down to avoid any semblance of prejudice in the case.
CLC Chief Executive Andrea Williams said such biases undermine the fairness required in legal proceedings, particularly in cases involving complex social and religious issues. She said Purkis' views are just the "tip of the iceberg of anti-Christian bias within the judiciary and trade unions."
"This issue has revealed the mindset within the judiciary where there is a lack of training and scrutiny of the judges and panel members sitting on these important cases," she said.
In December 2023, the U.K. government released draft guidelines stressing that no teacher should be compelled to conform to a student's preferred pronouns contrary to their biological sex.
Before that guidance was issued, Hannah wrote a letter to Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan in April 2023, requesting a meeting to discuss how the government can "prevent other teachers" from "being treated as I have."
"I know that the government is bringing out guidance for schools on transgenderism. I think it would be very important for you to meet with me ahead of that guidance being published so that you can hear first-hand how safeguarding concerns about the gender transition of young children are being dismissed and treated with contempt by schools," the teacher wrote.
"I very much hope that you can assure me that any teacher who raises similar concerns will have the protection of the law in future and that the guidance which you will be publishing will make this very clear."
