Friday, August 26, 2011

Victorian Justice : Court of Session set to rule on SIXTEEN YEAR medical injury claim against Motherwell College & North Lanarkshire Council

Motherwell CollegeCourt of Session ruling expected on 16 year civil damages claim after 8 weeks of hearings over 2 years. THE COURT OF SESSION is soon expected to issue a ruling in a SIXTEEN YEAR battle for justice in a medical injury case against Motherwell College & North Lanarkshire Council. The case, which is the longest of its kind on record, regarding a workplace injury which occurred in 1995, has taken a staggering sixteen years out of the life of Mr Martin Wilson, a Music Lecturer who suffered severe back injuries after help was denied to him in the course of his duties by its now former Principal Richard Millham, who was dubbed a “Bully Boss” by national newspapers after Motherwell College lost a string of unfair dismissal claims brought by College staff.

Members of staff at Motherwell College were reported to have described ‘a strong climate of fear which is still there’. One of several unanimous decisions by Employment Tribunals against the College confirmed that Mr Wilson was unfairly dismissed while on long term sickness leave.

Lord WoolmanLord Woolman is the presiding judge in the present claim of  M.Wilson v North Lanarkshire Council & Others (A1628/01). Investigations conducted by the media have revealed the case has generated thousands of pages of transcripts along with numerous hearings before the Court of Session where internationally acclaimed expert medical witnesses from the UK and abroad disputed the testimony of Motherwell College’s own ‘experts’. As the hearings ‘progressed’, many legal observers to the case indicated matters could & should have been resolved years ago, some expressing opinions the case appeared to have been prolonged by legal teams solely for the purpose of generating legal fees from Motherwell College totalling HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF POUNDS, ultimately paid for by taxpayers.

An in-depth investigation into the case carried out by Scottish Law Reporter, compiled with the help of observers to the legal proceedings and senior legal insiders, berated Motherwell College and its legal representatives for wilfully delaying for THIRTEEN YEARS after Mr Wilson’s injury before commissioning an expert ergonomics report in this manual handling claim, and then only after Mr Wilson had managed to gain access to the defenders premises, something no fewer than FOUR 'normally reliable' law firms which included the well known Edinburgh law firm of Balfour & Manson & the Glasgow based Harper Macleod who had previously 'represented Mr Wilson’s best interests' had failed to do during the thirteen years since the summons was served on Motherwell College.

Damning evidence from interviews with legal observers to the proceedings revealed instances where despite the court suggesting the defenders make the “expert ergonomics report” available to Mr Wilson as soon as possible, the legal agents acting for Motherwell College, Simpson and Marwick, withheld the report until approximately 72 hours before the Proof was scheduled to begin in June of 2008, and then only handing it over on Court premises during a procedural hearing before Lord Penrose.

After being told of the report being withheld from the pursuer, Lord Penrose claimed that the defenders had been “playing fast and loose with due process in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage” and “had rendered the scheduled proof hearing unsafe”. Lord Penrose then invited Motherwell College representatives to apply for a postponement, which they did, and despite the party litigant being prepared to continue regardless - he had paid for distinguished expert witnesses to travel from destinations as far afield as the Western United States.

Taking the defenders legal representatives conduct into account, Lord Penrose described the situation as 'unfortunate' yet amazingly, no penalty was imposed on the defenders and these tactics, widely viewed as cynical delaying tactics, led to a further delay of over a year, the hearings finally getting started in November 2009 at the Court of Session under Lord Woolman. Later that month, and only after the Proof hearings had begun, a ruling in the Wilson v North Lanarkshire Council & others case heralded in the appearance of Scotland’s first Civil Law McKenzie Friend in a Court of Session case.

According to legal observers, hearings in the case continued “sporadically” and one year later in November 2010 Motherwell College’s legal team told the court they were withdrawing their “expert ergonomics report” and would not be relying on it,.leading many observers to view the defender’s case as being “unsustainable”.

The report by Scottish Law Reporter also revealed that out of a total of some SIXTEEN LAY WITNESSES to be called by Motherwell College, only FOUR eventually appeared, and none of those included the key player in Mr Wilson’s earlier successful Employment Tribunal Decision against the College, it’s disgraced former Principal, Richard Millham.

Astonishingly the defenders suddenly decided at the last minute in January 2011 not to call the College's former Health and Safety Officer in a manual handling claim, - a consequence perhaps of the defenders failure to produce a single risk assessment or manual handling record. Observers to hearings of the case described the testimony of Motherwell College’s expert witnesses as “lacking any credibility whatsoever”, “highly scripted”, and “unusually combative”.

North Lanarkshire Council & Motherwell College were represented throughout hearings at the Court of Session by Edinburgh law firm Simpson & Marwick. Senior Counsel for Simpson & Marwick was Ian MacKay QC, Junior Counsel was Calum Wilson both of Compass Chambers.

Richard Millham Jack McConnellPolitical connections ? Former Motherwell College Principal Richard Millham, pictured (left) with the then First Minister Jack McConnell (right) in Motherwell FC awards ceremony. While the Court of Session is expected to issue its ruling soon, there remain significant questions over who or what delayed a civil damages claim for approximately 16 years against scandal hit Motherwell College. Senior legal insiders have indicated the case may well form part of an effort to have the Scottish Parliament look at the regular and unjustifiable delays in access to justice in the Scottish courts while some have raised questions over the possibility influence of a political nature may have been exerted on law firms to delay Mr Wilson’s access to justice.

BACKGROUND TO MOTHERWELL COLLEGE CLIMATE OF FEAR & 16 YEAR JUSTICE BATTLE :

College's 300K Bully Bill Sunday Mail June 15 2003Motherwell College squandered £300K of taxpayers money fighting a string of Tribunal hearings involving bullying allegations against lecturers which the College lost. A number of media reports, referred to in earlier coverage by Scottish Law Reporter, show Motherwell College were involved in a string of Employment Tribunal decisions the college lost during Richard Millham’s term as Principal of Motherwell College. Allegations in newspapers including the Sunday Mail reported that “In 1999, lecturer Martin Wilson won £4000 after a tribunal ruled he had been unfairly fired. He had a back injury and could not work. A close friend said : "He was targeted by Millham. There was a strong climate of fear, which is still there ."

Scottish Law Reporter reported in earlier coverage : “From 1995-1998 Motherwell College opposed Mr Wilson's claim for Unfair Dismissal while on long term sickness leave and lost, to a unanimous decision. Undeterred Motherwell College appealed the decision, and lost again. This was the first of several high profile Employment Tribunal cases lost by the Board of Management of Motherwell College, often to unanimous decisions against it.”

I have reported on this case in previous articles, here : FIFTEEN year wait for justice against Motherwell College marks poor state of Scotland’s ‘Victorian’ Justice System on European Civil Justice Day and here : Access to Justice ? Law Society's insurers Marsh UK linked to SIXTEEN YEAR Court of Session civil damages claim against Motherwell College

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting case Peter.I think you are onto something with the political slant.Its amazing a thankfully former First Minister had his picture taken with a College principal who was identified in several difficult tribunal cases as being the root cause of staff problems at MC.

Mr Wilson's case ends up taking 16 years.I wonder who helped pile on the pressure for his lawyers to desert him..

Anonymous said...

People should be getting wise now to the fact these courts are holding us all hostage on behalf of a bunch of not very nice people

LAWYERS HATE FREEDOM OF SPEECH said...

146 opt-in to Class Action against Rick Kordowski, Rick states

"The Law Society wrote to every solicitor and firm listed on the Solicitors from Hell website and asked them to ‘opt-in’ to a joint class action against me. Out of about 800 firms, only 146 opted-in.

The Law Society have said that these firms cannot afford to individually take action against me, quote:

“The irrecoverable cost of such litigation is prohibitive for many firms and lawyers.”

However, most of the 146 firms have NOT even contacted me. How much does sending an email cost?

In relation to the firms that have contacted me there was persuasive evidence that the posted allegations were actually true.

Rick Kordowski
================================
Yes Rick they are true the same as Peter informing readers that the Law Society of Scotland has been responsible for client suicides.

Furthermore I am delighted Rick that lawyers have failed to force your ISP provider to close your site. I also note from your site that

“The need for clients to be able to give feedback on the service they have received is extremely important,” as quoted by Desmond Hudson, Chief Executive of The Law Society. I assume this is the Law Society of England and Wales.

Well Mr Hudson your counterpart north of the border had to resign (Mr Douglas Mill) because he wanted to kill off a legitimate complaint to protect the Law Society insurers.

Wake up Mr Hudson, clients are sick of giving feedback to lawyers about lawyers that is why A Diary of Injustice, Solicitors from Hell, Bent Judges.Com, Victims of the Legal Profession Society, Scotland Against Crooked Lawyers exist. Because these website owners DEALT WITH THE LAW SOCIETY.

Society is meant to protect the vulnerable, perhaps we will launch a new website called Clients Against the Law Society.

The foundation of your power (self regulation) is crumbling Mr Hudson and you all want to kill off freedom of speech and expression to save lawyers thereby tarnishing all lawyers. SHAME ON YOU. The Law society is a patronising lawyers union an anachronism. Fill a union with people of the same mind and some form of tyranny is the result.

Look at this case 16 years, shocking.

Anonymous said...

This happened to me, and the complaints structures were more corrupt than the lawyers who were vile, NHS, Law Society, Ombudsman, complaining to them a joke.

I wonder how many of the lawyers and doctors have financial interests in the company who would be paying this man's damages? Medical evidence, that phrase linked to money always favours the employer in my experience anyway.

Anonymous said...

Hope Mr Wilson gets a decent verdict after all this time!

Anonymous said...

The picture of McConnell & Millham is enough of a hint to anyone wondering why its taken this guy Wilson 16 years to get to a court and without a lawyer by the sounds of it.

Disgusting isnt it?

Motherwell lickspittle said...

Ah

Now we seem to be getting somewhere.

New Liebour were on the scene with the very man at the centre of the dismissals

Coincidence anyone?

I think not!

Anonymous said...

Are those weirdos at the SLCC still reading these comments/planting fake opinions and spying on you Peter?

I heard from a journo one of them is a member of one of these *ahem ahem* clubs.I wonder if they put it in their register of interests?

Anonymous said...

16 years is longer than a jail sentence

Anonymous said...

How much have they spent on legal fees for all these tribunals and court cases?

Must be up about the million at least all coming from taxpayers to keep lawyers going.

Anonymous said...

A distinctive Justice System to be proud of Mr. McAskill?

Anonymous said...

How many millions are we wasting on these judges to sit there supposedly in blissful ignorance while people's lives are ruined in front of them?

Clearly the courts in Scotland are a complete waste of time.

Anonymous said...

A man has appeared in court charged with assault after Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was splattered with blue paint at a meeting of members of his party.

The Liberal Democrat leader was splashed with paint during talks with grassroots representatives in Glasgow on Thursday night.

Mr Clegg later made light of the incident, saying it was "no big deal".

Stuart Rodger, 22, from Inverkeithing, Fife, appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court in connection with the alleged attack.

He faces charges of assault by throwing an egg with paint in it at Mr Clegg and three police officers.

Rodger is accused of throwing the egg which struck Mr Clegg "on the body" in Glenfarg Street, Glasgow, on Thursday.

Rodger made no plea and no declaration and was granted bail.

The case was continued for further examination and a date is yet to be set.

Mr Clegg was at the meeting at Woodside Hall in the west of the city as part of a tour of the UK.
===================================
I will not vote Liberal Dumbocrat again not after Nick got kissy kissy with Cameron.

Anonymous said...

The worrying thing is if Peter Cherbi had not taken time to write about it we wouldnt have known anything about it.

What is up with the newspapers these days?Isnt someone stuck in the justice system for 16 years enough of a scandal?

Keep up the good work Peter.

Anonymous said...

On the second anniversary of Mr Megrahi's release it is perhaps enlighting to consider how long he was kept captive by the Scottish 'justice' System - and compare that with Mr Wilson's 16 year ordeal.

Anonymous said...

Motherwell lickspittle said...

Ah

Now we seem to be getting somewhere.

New Liebour were on the scene with the very man at the centre of the dismissals

Coincidence anyone?

I think not!

26 August 2011 13:41

Ah New Liebour fingers in the pie me thinks!

Say no more say no more!

Anonymous said...

There should be cameras & audio in the courtroom so the public can see what is really going on.I bet you if there were cameras on this case it wouldnt have been allowed to last all these years.

Anonymous said...

Not exactly connected to your topic but it does show while someone is stuck in the courts for 16 years some quango boss can put in a claim for £56,000 moving costs at taxpayers expense and get it without a fuss.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/08/26/outrage-as-report-reveals-taxpayer-footing-56-000-bill-to-move-quango-boss-back-to-scotland-86908-23372823/

A £56,000 BILL for moving a quango boss back to Scotland has caused outrage.

Scottish Development International chief Anne MacColl got the public cash to help her move back from a posting in France to a new £100,000 job in Scotland.

The payout by the government's trade and investment arm was revealed in Scottish Enterprise's annual report.

Labour finance spokesman Richard Baker said SE were trying to ape private-sector salaries with public money.

Baker said: "Scottish Enterprise should not follow willy-nilly the excesses of the private sector.

"Instead of dishing out lavish relocation fees, they should realise most people would be grateful to pay their own way or even swim the Channel to land a job with a six-figure salary."

The report also showed that 11 of the 22 people laid off by SE last year got payoffs of more than £100,000.

Anonymous said...

I can see already some of those commenting have picked up on the political interference going on here which has probably helped lose this guy his lawyers and made sure the courts took their sweet ass time hearing the case.

Scotland needs elected judges and cameras in the courtroom.Get to it Mr Peter Cherbi and a big handshake to you from a reader in NY State.

Anonymous said...

Scotland's No.1 Professional Criminal Profile of this Corrupt Former Law Society Chief Executive
"[the memo] suggests the Law Society have been involved [in collusion]" - John Swinney MSP

For many years Law Society Chief Executive, Douglas Mill played a central role at the Law Society of Scotland, a corrupt institution that's inflicted untold human misery on some of Scotland's most trusting, vulnerable citizens.

Let the evidence show that Douglas Mill and his Law Society co-conspirators lied to parliament about their collusion with Marsh, the Master Policy brokers; that he lied to parliament about acting in Mackenzie's best interests; and that he lied about the percentage of Master Policy claims that go to court.


http://www.bentjudges.com/Douglas_Mill.html

And these people want to shut down web sites, prison is the place for them.

Anonymous said...

Out of 16 witnesses they only called 4 - this tells a story on its own.Credibility of their case lacking somewhat?

Anonymous said...

How many other cases like this are rattling around the Court of Session?
I had a look at their website and the judgements section,most never mention some of the things you have written about here.Are the judges in on the deal to keep people from getting settlements against what I presume will be Motherwell College's insurers?

Anonymous said...

Good reporting as always Peter and to those who criticise the rest of the media for not reporting it - why bother buying a paper then?You can read all about it here and probably a lot more truth than some story with a Law Society comment stuck on at the end of it claiming everything is fine.At least Peter prints the truth as we should be hearing it not the version the legal idiots want us to believe!

Anonymous said...

Why the deafening silence on this case from the 'independent' BBC and others I wonder?

Anonymous said...

as soon as I saw the pic of McConnell I knew why this has taken so long

Anonymous said...

Comment @20:25

I totally agree with what you are saying.This blog is a fantastic resource as is Mr Cherbi's knowledge and experience of the legal system.

Anonymous said...

Trying to get justice in Scotland seems to be like giving yourself a life sentence..

Anonymous said...

Yes I think we need some more court features about how lawyers and the judges are dragging out cases with no good reason.

Anonymous said...

No one needs to wonder why this story is not appearing in any major newspapers or the BBC.

Just who would be expected to feature at least four law firms ducked out of this man's claim which took roughly sixteen years to be heard in a Scottish court?

If anyone reported the above no one would believe it really happened yet here the facts are laid bare for all to see.

Clearly Cherbi's will to report on the worst elements of our justice system cannot be 'got at' by the powers that be while others appear to be easily dissuaded from telling the truth.

Anonymous said...

Clearly this outrageous delay has been no accident.

Anonymous said...

as I've said before these delays in the justice system are caused by people being herded into using its procedures to supposedly get some justice
yet again we now see it doesnt work so someone please come up with alternatives

Anonymous said...

I know of another case which took nearly 5 years in the court,turned out the judge was meeting one of the defenders on the sly and he had to quit the case when one of the pursuers threatened to publish..

Anonymous said...

Good thing the NTC didnt sue Gaddafi in the Court of Session,they would have been waiting to get into power a few decades before the case was even called.

The business of injustice is what the Scottish courts are all about,dont ever expect to get a fair hearing in front of this mob!

Anonymous said...

As earlier suggested bring in the cameras & audio to courtrooms so we can see these cases and who the judges are siding with..

Anonymous said...

Just to agree with everyone else on the posting and Good blog!

Anonymous said...

Keep us posted on this one Peter I am especially interested about the political end of it.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

People should be getting wise now to the fact these courts are holding us all hostage on behalf of a bunch of not very nice people

26 August 2011 11:17

+1

Anonymous said...

It pays to have a local MSP who is also first minister.

Anonymous said...

What happened - how much money did he get?