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  • Select Committee adopts FRU recommendation on tribunal applications
    Wed, 07/25/2018 - 14:17

    The Women and Equalities Select Committee has today published its inquiry report into sexual harassment in the workplace. FRU was invited to submit written and oral evidence to the Committee and the report cites our Principal Legal Officer Michael Reed’s oral evidence at several points. FRU is pleased that the Committee adopted one of our recommendations; that the three-month time limit for applications to the employment tribunal should be extended.

    FRU Chief Executive David Abbott said:

    “Sexual harassment in the workplace is a major concern. FRU was pleased to be invited to submit written and oral evidence to the Committee based on our extensive experience of representing victims of harassment.

    We are pleased that the committee was persuaded that the three-month time limit is too short and hope that the government will now implement the Committee’s recommendation. We were also pleased that the Committee recommended tribunals should be able to award punitive damages and there should be a presumption that tribunals will normally require employers to pay employees’ costs if the employer loses a discrimination case in which sexual harassment has been alleged. However FRU still believes that legal aid should be extended to cover legal advice and representation in these complex and demanding proceedings”.

    https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmwomeq/725/72502.htm

     

  • Congratulations to Ayesha!
    Tue, 07/24/2018 - 15:56

    FRU is pleased to congratulate our office administrator and receptionist Ayesha Taranum for graduating in English from Kings College London yesterday. Ayesha’s graduation was witnessed by her proud family members. Well done Ayesha from everyone at FRU.

  • Former Attorney General visits FRU
    Thu, 07/19/2018 - 10:39

    FRU was pleased to welcome Lord Peter Goldsmith, the former Attorney General, to our offices today.

    Lord Goldsmith is a well-known advocate of legal pro bono work, having been awarded the Lifetime Award for Extraordinary Contribution to the Development of Pro Bono Culture in Europe in 2014. He agreed to visit FRU to find out more about our work in representing clients in social security and employment tribunals and providing clinical legal education. Lord Goldsmith spent the morning touring the FRU office and speaking to staff and trustees.

    Principal Legal Officer Emma Baldwin said “it was a pleasure to welcome Lord Goldsmith to FRU today. He was very interested in the issues facing FRU’s clients, in how FRU works and in our plans for the future.”

  • FRU welcomes Sir Ernest Ryder, Senior President of Tribunals
    Wed, 06/27/2018 - 15:45

    FRU was delighted to welcome a visit today by Sir Ernest Ryder, the Senior President of Tribunals. Sir Ernest had expressed an interest in hearing about FRU’s work representing clients in social security and employment tribunals and in providing clinical legal education to future lawyers.

    Sir Ernest spent the morning touring the FRU office, speaking to staff, volunteer representatives and a management committee member and trustee. He heard in detail how FRU works including the management of casework, the training of prospective lawyers and how we feed in our clients’ experiences of the tribunal system to policy makers. Sir Ernest was keen to hear what currently works well and where there are issues that the tribunal judiciary could address.

    During the visit Sir Ernest highlighted the value to the tribunal system of high quality advocacy. He spoke of being aware of FRU’s work through his own experience, that of judicial colleagues and contacts throughout the justice system. Sir Ernest underlined the value to young lawyers of clinical legal education through taking on real cases. He particularly encouraged FRU representatives to take on a range of cases to broaden their skill base.

    FRU Chief Executive David Abbott said “it was an honour and a pleasure to welcome Lord Justice Ryder to FRU. Sir Ernest was very interested in and supportive of FRU’s work. He expressed a genuine desire for feedback on how tribunals currently operate and how the judiciary can ensure that future developments take into account the work of pro bono organisations such as FRU. Sir Ernest’s recognition of the value of the work of our staff and volunteers was a great morale boost”.

  • FRU explains the benefits of pro bono to potential volunteers
    Wed, 06/20/2018 - 11:29

    We were pleased to be invited to the Middle Temple Hall for the Jobs and Opportunities Fair on 19 June. FRU Assistant Legal Officers Verity Bell and Josh Yetman spoke to all those who attended to explain the benefits of doing pro bono advocacy. FRU volunteers provide an essential service to our clients, who would not be represented in their employment or social security tribunal without us. Our volunteers receive high quality training and support which is proven to help them to develop their legal career.