鹹濕法官的申訴

Judge fired for watching porn at work claims disability discrimination in employment tribunal battle

A disgraced former judge who was sacked for watching porn on court computers is in court today claiming that the government unfairly sacked him.

Immigration specialist Warren Grant fell from grace in March last year when he, along with two others judges, was removed from his judicial position for viewing “pornographic material on judicial IT equipment”. Grant is reported to have accessed websites including Pleasure Zone, Spicy Tranny and Retro Porn Hub.

According to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office, both the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice concluded “this was an inexcusable misuse” of his judicial IT account and “wholly unacceptable conduct for a judicial office holder”.

Cambridge-educated former solicitor Grant, 61, has now raised doubts about the lawfulness of the sacking, and has made an employment law claim against the Ministry of Justice because of it. The 61 year-old — citing the Disability Discrimination Act — has said that his behaviour stemmed from a mental illness he was suffering from that was triggered by problems with his marriage. The illness has been reported by Metro to be depression.

The respondent has defended the claim, and reiterated that Grant broke strict guidelines when he used his work IT account to access the explicit websites.

The London Central Employment Tribunal has heard from Matrix Chambers barrister Mathew Purchase that:

This wasn’t a case of watching pornography one or two times, or even 10 or 20 times, but was persistent — several times a day — over a 14-month period or so.

The case has been before the London Central Employment Tribunal all week, including today, and a decision is expected shortly. A tribunal is able to award between £18,000 and £30,000 in damages if it finds serious disability discrimination.

As the matter is still ongoing, the Judicial Office declined to comment.

(20/5/2016 Legal Cheek)

去年三月的通告

JCIO 18/15 17 March 2015

STATEMENT FROM THE JUDICIAL CONDUCT INVESTIGATIONS OFFICE-

District Judge Timothy Bowles

Immigration Judge Warren Grant
Deputy District Judge and Recorder Peter Bullock
Recorder Andrew Maw

A spokesperson for the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said:

Three judges: District Judge Timothy Bowles; Immigration Judge Warren Grant; and, Deputy District Judge and Recorder Peter Bullock ;have been removed from judicial office following an investigation into an allegation that they viewed pornographic material on judicial IT equipment in their offices. The Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice were satisfied that the material did not include images of children or any other illegal content, but concluded that this was an inexcusable misuse of their judicial IT accounts and wholly unacceptable conduct for a judicial office holder. A fourth judge, Recorder Andrew Maw , was also found to have viewed similar inappropriate material via his judicial IT account. The Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice would likewise have removed Recorder Maw had he not resigned before the conclusion of the disciplinary process. The judges were not linked in any way.

英國法官利用內庭電腦瀏覽鹹網炒魷魚, 抵死喇, 點知其中一條友竟然入稟告政府無理解僱, 引用傷殘歧視條例, 認為上鹹網源於自己的精神及婚姻問題, 所以解僱構成歧視, 嘩! 我都好佩服咁嘅理由都諗得出, 不愧是劍橋高才生。精神有問題究竟誰是因誰是果? 係越睇越精神抑或越睇就越有精神、婚姻問題呢? 又是一個先有雞抑或先有蛋的問題。14個月內一日用法院電腦上幾次鹹網, 無講每次幾長時間, 但又會咁得閒呢? 真係返工咁得閒睇就唔好慳, 自己買隻蛋嚟上網或者用自己手機, 咁你老細咪唔知你睇過乜囉。香港一樣喎, 法官電腦用嘅係intranet, 上網經司法機構的IT系統出街, 你去過邊個網站IT嗰邊一定知, 無得走。現在是電子年代, 一舉一動都很易留下電子足印, 真係做壞事而做得精密的人, 就會千方百計去避開任何留痕跡的機會。 即係點? 咪搞, 我唔教人做壞事, 唔會教人點先至唔留痕跡。