She had a family holiday to Greece booked shortly after the holiday, which involved taking a flight to reach the destination
Woman tries to sue employer for discrimination
- A woman named Hilary Bannerman tried to sue her former employer, the Land Restoration Trust, for alleged discrimination. She claimed that she was unfairly treated because of her deeply held philosophical belief in social and environmental justice.
- The core of the legal challenge was whether her conviction qualified as a legally protected philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010. For her case to proceed, the employment tribunal needed to confirm that her personal views met the strict legal criteria for protection.
- Employment Judge Kevin Palmer ruled against Ms Bannerman, resulting in the dismissal of her discrimination claims. He concluded that her expressed views, despite their seriousness, did not meet the required legal standard for a protected philosophical belief.
- A major factor in the case was her personal use of air travel for both business and leisure purposes. She admitted to taking flights for a previous job in Canada, and had planned a flight to Greece for a family holiday shortly after the hearing.
- The judge found her justification for flying – that everyone is entitled to a holiday – to be unconvincing given the nature of her purported commitment to the environment. Taking flights , which generate significant carbon emissions, were seen as directly compromising her claim of living by a core environmental belief.
- Judge Palmer described her environmental actions as ‘modest’, citing examples like home recycling and installing a few solar panels. He noted that millions of UK residents already follow similar practices, suggesting her behaviour was not reflective of a profound philosophical belief.
- The court highlighted other lifestyle choices that contradicted a deep commitment to environmental justice. These included not extensively using public transport, not adhering to a plant-based diet, and not using eco-friendly energy suppliers.
- Finally, the judge suggested her motivation seemed to be driven by a desire for a “large payment of compensation” to gain financial freedom for her family. He contrasted this financial goal with the selfless commitment expected of a true philosophical belief, calling it an “individual and not a social outlook”.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE: Woman who flies to holiday destinations cannot sue employer on environmental grounds, judge says
