Live tweets from Day 6 of the Sara Morrison v Belfast Film Festival employment tribunal.
I am at Killymeal House in Belfast awaiting the resumption of Morrison v Belfast Film Festival.
We were due to start at 1.30pm with BFF CEO Michele Devlin resuming her evidence, BUT I UNDERSTAND ANOTHER RECUSAL APPLICATION HAS BEEN FILED.
That’s all I know right now. More…
as we get it.
The tribunal judge has directed that in the interests of open justice the recusal application will be heard at 1.30pm today. I will live tweet and should be given access to the written application and response.
Though given the Respondent’s barrister is not yet in the building we may well not be starting at 1.30pm
Here are some arrivals. Michele Devlin on the left. BFF CEO. due to resume giving evidence today
Tribunal is sitting. The parties have nothing to add to the written submissions for the recusal application and response. Members of the press have been heard and the judge has allowed the submissions to be handed to the media. I’ll post them up asap!
Judge retires to consider submissions. Judgment will be at 2.30pm
The Recusal application is to recuse panel member Michael McKeown on grounds of apparent bias. Edited highlights: “The Claimant says the fair-minded and informed observer would conclude that there was a real possibility that Mr McKeown…
… would be unable to approach his task impartially by reason of his work as trade union activist in the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (“NIPSA”) taken together with NIPSA’s active and uncritical…
… support for and campaigning position on gender identity ideology over a number of years, including the latter years of Mr McKeown’s period of office.”
“From 2009 to 2017, Mr McKeown was employed by the Whitley Council, the central negotiating body for the Civil Service, and seconded to the union as assistant trade union-side secretary to the Council…
… This was a senior and key role with the union, which fully justifies the description of Mr McKeown as a “leading trade unionist” in an Irish News review of his 2014 novel, Belfast Blues.”
“NIPSA has since at least 2015 been actively and uncritically supportive of gender identity ideology and thus necessarily hostile to the sex-realist/gender-critical viewpoint…
… and this was true both in the latter years of Mr McKeown’s membership of its General Council and thereafter. Evidence of this stance includes:
-Material in NIPSA’s annual reports for 2015, 2016 and 2017
-Its General Secretary’s 2020 announcement of “Transgender Awareness Week :
-Its Branch Reps’ LGB&T Toolkit (undated, but internal evidence suggests…
… that it was first published in about 2014, and updated in 2016)
-Its 2021 conference paper “Gender Neutral Toilets in Workplaces”
-The appearance of NIPSA’s logo on the Northern Ireland Women’s Manifesto page at p.14 of the recusal bundle put before the tribunal on Friday 14 November.”
“The Toolkit and 2021 Conference paper, in particular, provide dismaying indications of NIPSA’s willingness to make confident false assertions about the law which have the effect of prioritising the claims of trans people without regard to effects on women”
“single sex toilet facilities – A common issue raised by staff is the use of toilet facilities. While every effort should be made to deal with concerns amongst staff it should be made clear that once [x] begins the process of transition they will use the appropriate facilities”
“it is not acceptable to insist that a trans individual use the facilities of their birth sex or the accessible/disabled toilet. This could amount to unlawful discrimination; and…”
“showers/ changing facilities/sleeping accommodation/ lockers etc – (Shared use of these facilities to be agreed in discussion with [x] and colleagues to ensure that everyone is comfortable with the arrangements and the dignity of all concerned is taken into consideration).”
“The tribunal is also referred to the following “key activities” said to have been undertaken by NIPSA’s LGB&T group at section A7 of its 2016 Annual Report:”
“NIPSA supported the tenth Annual Outburst Queer Arts Festival (10-19 November), International Transgender Day of Remembrance (20 November)”
“Issued information to branches about the launch of education guidance for schools, youth workers and educators working with trans and non-binary young people in Northern Ireland produced by SAIL NI and GenderJam.”
“The following appears at section A8 of the same report under the heading “General Issues”:
Trans Rights: As part of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Festival which ran from 4 December 2016 and…
… concluded on Human Rights Day on 10 December 2016, NIPSA held a training event for branch representatives on 9 December 2016 in NIPSA HQ. The session…
… which was delivered by SAIL, explained some of the language around Trans; talked about barriers faced by Trans people at every level of society; examined some of the workplace issues…
… and how branch representatives can support members who were transitioning. The training event also examined the legislation covering Trans people and…
… strategies that can make the workplace more inclusive. NICS LGBT Staff Survey: The Group considered a draft survey which was referred by Trade Union Side (TUS) of the…
… Central Whitley Equal Opportunities Committee. The HQ Official and Group Chairperson met with the NICS LGBT Diversity Champion on 6 October 2016 and raised issued around…
continues in the box below: