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Court rules Britain's legal institutions are not immune from racial discrimination allegations

A COURT has ruled that Britain’s legal institutions can no longer claim “judicial immunity” from racial discrimination allegations.

The Supreme Court overruled a decision by the Court of Appeal, deciding that European Union laws guarantee employees the right to seek redress if they believe that disciplinary or misconduct tribunals have been discriminatory.

Campaign group Blaksox spokeswoman Viv Ahmun said: “That the Ministry of Justice should seek to excuse its own racism using the principle of judicial immunity represents the arrogant presumption of the largely white judiciary that they are professionally incapable of prejudice.”

Campaigners said the ruling could mean that Peter Herbert, a part-time judge who faced suspension and a dressing-down after alleging that there is racism in the judiciary, could take further action against his superiors. 

Lee Jasper, who was chief equalities adviser to former London mayor Ken Livingstone, said: “This decision means that no judge is above the law.”

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