Research on eyewitness testimony of people who stammer
Recent study by the University of Bath, including credibility of witnesses who stammer compared with those who do not, with mock jurors. More: Research on eyewitness testimony of people who stammer, 2025.
Unfair dismissal changes, and passing of Employment Rights Act 2025
The Employment Rights Act 2025 will reduce the qualifying period for unfair dismissal to six months (rather than unfair dismissal being a “day one” right as previously proposed), and remove the cap on compensation for it. See Unfair dismissal rights after six months, and removal of compensation cap. (EqA rights already apply from day one, and indeed before employment as regards recruitment, and there is no cap on EqA compensation.)
Also updated other pages for the Employment Rights Act 2025 having been passed by Parliament and (on 18 December) received royal assent:
- Third party harassment proposals
- Extension of time limit for employment tribunal claims
- Non-disclosure agreements.
“Causing” discrimination by another person
Added Court of Appeal decision in Bailey v Stonewall [2025] EWCA Civ 1662, particularly on what “cause” means in s.111(2) EqA.
Also updated on this Instructing or causing discrimination, or helping it>”Instruct”, “cause”, and “induce”, and added old case CRE v Imperial Society of Teachers for Dancing [1983].
Who is liable under the Equality Act
Who is liable under the Equality Act reviewed and updated, including particularly:
- Can include discrimination outside work: “in the course of employment” – cases added, including the recent AB v Grafters
- Apportionment of liability (England and Wales)
- Summary added.
Work experience and other employment services
Reviewed and updated:
- Work placements related to education courses – including possible role of human rights law to fill a gap (in liability of some work placement providers) previously filled by reinterpreting the EqA under EU law.
- Work experience
- “Employment services”: agencies, careers guidance, vocational training etc.
Stammering starting in adulthood
Reviewed and updated: Disability: Stammering starting in adulthood.
“Bervidi” EU court case
The EU Court of Justice has held that under the EU Framework Employment Directive, both indirect discrimination and the duty to make reasonable adjustments can apply in relation to someone else’s disability, at least as regards a parent seeking adjustments from her employer to care for her disabled child. This case is more likely to apply in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the UK. More: “Bervidi” case: reasonable adjustments for someone else’s disability.
Privy Council decision on human rights
Added a 2021 Privy Council case on when employment falls within Article 14 (non-discrimination) of the European Convention on Human Rights: Royal Cayman Islands Police Association v Commissioners of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. See “Ambit” of European Convention rights>Technical note: “Ambit” of Article 8 in employment – reason-based and consequence-based approach.
- Previous updates Website updates September to October 2025.
