Employment and Discrimination Law

Garden Court represents claimants. We fight for workers' rights in the full range of employment cases from straightforward unfair dismissal claims to complex discrimination, trade union, and human rights claims.

To contact the Employment and Discrimination Clerks, please email employmentclerks@gclaw.co.uk

or phone +44 (0)20 7993 7600

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We have represented employees and workers at all levels, from regulatory proceedings through to the Employment Tribunal, the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.

Our cases have helped to change the law in relation to indirect discrimination, the rights of agency workers, the relationship between freedom of expression and unfair dismissal, and the access of service personnel to the employment courts.

Members of our team benefit from being part of a multi-disciplinary set and have close working relationships with our immigration team, which we have drawn on in high-profile employee status and trafficking claims.

The members of the team are drawn from diverse backgrounds, and are able to provide advice with empathy. We provide a high quality, effective and approachable service. We are proud of our commitment to workers’ rights, and are well aware of the difficulties faced by individuals who seek redress in a jurisdiction that does not provide public funding for claims. A number of our members take employment cases under public access.

Areas of Expertise

  • Discrimination claims under the Equality Act 2010
  • Discrimination on grounds of trade union status
  • Unfair and wrongful dismissal
  • Health & Safety detriment and dismissal
  • Human Rights claims (including blacklisting)
  • Claims by workers without a right to reside (including trafficked workers)
  • Maternity and Parental Rights
  • Claims by precarious workers (i.e. agency, part-time, flexible and temporary workers)
  • Whistleblowing
  • Redundancy
  • Equal pay claims
  • Breach of contract claims
  • Injunctions
  • National Minimum Wage
  • Working Time Regulations
  • Disputes relating to Covid-19

Recent Notable Cases & News

Garden Court Chambers celebrates 50th Anniversary

This year marks 50 years of Garden Court Chambers winning ground-breaking cases of constitutional importance.

Friday 31 May 2024

Oscar Davies wins King’s College ‘Change Maker’ Award 2025

Garden Court barrister Oscar Davies has been awarded the King’s College Distinguished Alumni ‘Change Maker’ Award in recognition of their outstanding achievements. The Change Maker Award celebrates alumni who “change the status quo for good”.

Friday 6 Jun 2025

Oscar Davies secures £30,000 settlement in sexual harassment case signalling shift to stronger employee protections

Oscar Davies of Garden Court Chambers was instructed by the employee through the Public Access Scheme.

Thursday 5 Jun 2025

Victory for trans worker: £21,000 settlement secured in discrimination case against clothing retailer

Oscar Davies of the Garden Court Employment and Discrimination Law Teams acted for the Claimant.

Friday 30 May 2025

Former employee sues Arsenal Football Club for unfair dismissal over ‘inflammatory’ social media posts

Franck Magennis, of the Garden Court Chambers Employment Law Team, represents the Claimant, Mark Bonnick, instructed by the European Legal Support Center (ELSC).

Tuesday 27 May 2025

Oscar Davies briefs MPs on Supreme Court’s Equality Act ruling

Following the recent Supreme Court judgement on the interpretation of ‘sex’ in the Equality Act, Garden Court barrister Oscar Davies yesterday advised a group of MPs on the impact of the ruling, as part of a panel of trans+ lawyers and legal scholars.

Thursday 15 May 2025

Past Notable Cases

 

Essop and others v Home Office (UK Border Agency)
Landmark Supreme Court case on race and age indirect discrimination against the Home Office, arising from its past promotion procedures and a core skills assessment test (CSA).

T v Ministry of Defence
Equality Act exemption of armed forces from liability on disability and age discrimination claims was found to contravene articles 8 and 14 ECHR.

Hammersmith And Fulham v Keable
Guidance from the Employment Appeal Tribunal on fairness of dismissal for political activities outside the workplace.

Smith v Carillion (JM) Ltd & Anor
Court of Appeal case, challenging limited rights of agency workers to unfair dismissal, in context of blacklisting.

Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v Maxwell UKEAT/0232/12/MC
Appeal against findings that the claimant had been subject to unlawful discrimination by way of direct discrimination, harassment and victimisation on the grounds of race and sexual orientation.

Ssekisonge v Barts Health NHS Trust UKEAT/0133/16/LA
Appeal against a finding that the Claimant’s dismissal for some other substantial reason was fair.

Conway v Community Options Ltd UKEAT/0034/12/SM
Appeal against the striking out of claims of a failure to make reasonable adjustments and unfair dismissal.

Ross v Eddie Stobart Ltd UKEAT/0068/13/RN
Appeal against rejection of unfair dismissal claims involving consideration of burden of proof where the claim involved whistleblowing.

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