By Jemma Slingo2021-05-24T15:54:00+01:00
A barrister who was expelled from his chambers after tweeting about a ‘stroppy teenager of colour’ says he is now under investigation by the Bar Standards Board.
A tweet from Jon Holbrook’s personal Twitter account on 17 January attracted widespread criticism in the profession. In the post, Holbrook responded to a video from the Equality and Human Rights Commission telling the story of a black girl sent home because her hairstyle breached its uniform policy. Holbrook said the Equality Act ‘undermines school discipline by empowering the stroppy teenager of colour’.
Holbrook was subsequently voted out of public law set Cornerstone Barristers, which said it unequivocally condemns discrimination in all its forms . Holbrook says that he resigned four days before the vote.
Post Office Horizon inquiry set to be given statutory status with wider powers
The government inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal is set to be made statutory with the power to call witnesses under oath and compel provision of evidence
Share this item with your network: By Published: 18 May 2021 16:53
The government inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal is set to be made statutory with the power to compel witnesses and evidence.
According to Sky News, the government will soon announce that the current inquiry led by Sir Wyn Williams will be given statutory status, widening the powers available to the former High Court judge. Such a move would temper fears among victims and campaigners that the existing probe is a whitewash.
Only government standing in the way of fair compensation for subpostmasters
The UK government is the only block to fair compensation for subpostmasters who were wrongly punished for accounting shortfalls
Share this item with your network: By Published: 15 Apr 2021 13:31
The government is the only obstacle to victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal receiving the financial damages they deserve, after the Post Office CEO urged it to pay up.
Hundreds of subpostmasters had their lives destroyed after they were blamed and punished for accounting shortfalls, caused by the computer system they use. The Post Office strenuously denied this for two decades, until a damning High Court judgment in December 2019 meant it could no longer do so.
By John Hyde2021-03-03T10:46:00+00:00
An expelled barrister’s plea for the Bar Council to ‘stand up to the mob’ has been dismissed by its chair. In a letter to Jon Holbrook, who parted company with public law set Cornerstone Barristers in January after commenting on a case on social media, Derek Sweeting QC stated that he had the right to express his opinion but there was a ‘constraint on your entitlement to do so’.
Sweeting said Holbrook had been ‘entirely silent’ in relation to his obligation not to behave in a way which is likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in him or the profession.