Secretary of State for Justice

Case Summary

The claimant was employed by the Secretary of State for Justice between November 2020 and December 2021. Following a liability hearing, the tribunal upheld 6 complaints of direct sex discrimination, 7 of harassment related to sex, 4 of direct discrimination related to vegan beliefs, and 4 of harassment related to vegan beliefs. At the remedy hearing, the tribunal awarded £53,782.86 comprising compensation for past and future financial losses, medical expenses, personal injury (psychiatric harm), and injury to feelings with interest.

The tribunal found that the discriminatory and harassing conduct (sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and discrimination/harassment related to vegan beliefs) caused the claimant psychiatric injury and impacted her work performance, contributing to her dismissal. The claimant was awarded 20% of her financial losses to reflect apportionment of the impact of the upheld complaints (estimated at 10-20%) versus other factors, based on psychiatric expert evidence. Substantial awards were made for personal injury (psychiatric harm including depression, anxiety and bulimia nervosa) and injury to feelings, supported by extensive medical evidence of deterioration in the claimant's mental health since December 2021.

Use these claim-type pages to compare this decision with other published tribunal cases, outcome patterns, and visible award data.

• •Sex discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace
• •Discrimination and harassment related to vegan beliefs
• •Causation: whether discriminatory conduct contributed to dismissal
• •Quantum of damages for personal injury and psychiatric harm
• •Apportionment of injury between upheld and dismissed complaints
• •Mitigation of loss and duty to mitigate
• •Compliance with ACAS Code of Practice

1 EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS Claimant: CX Respondent: Secretary of State for Justice Heard at: Reading Employment Tribunal (by video) On: 23-25 February 2026 3 March 2026 (in chambers) Before: Employment Judge Annand Ms Osborne Ms Crosby Representation Claimant: In person Respondent: Ms Hirsch (Counsel) RESERVED REMEDY JUDGMENT 1. The Respondent shall pay the Claimant the following sums: a) Compensation for past financial losses (20% of losses incurred): i) Loss of income and pension loss to the date of the hearing (£5,227.08) ii) Past medical expenses (£500) £5,727.08 b) Interest on compensation for past financial losses calculated in accordance with the Employment Tribunals (Interest on Awards in Discrimination Cases) Regulations 1996: i) Interest on loss of income and pension loss to the date of the hearing (£980.69) ii) Interest on past medical expenses (£93.81) £1,074.50 c) Compensation for future financial losses: £5,705.77 2 i) Future loss of income and pension loss for 12 months (£4,465.77) ii) Future medical expenses (£1,240) d) Compensation for personal injury: £14,500 e) Interest on compensation for personal injury calculated in accordance with the Employment Tribunals (Interest on Awards in Discrimination Cases) Regulations 1996: £2,720.44 f) Compensation for injury to feelings: £17,500 g) Interest on compensation for injury to feelings calculated in accordance with the Employment Tribunals (Interest on Awards in Discrimination Cases) Regulations 1996: £6,555.07 Total: £53,782.86 REASONS Introduction 1. A remedy hearing was held in this case on 23, 24 and 25 February 2026. Following the liability hearing, the Tribunal upheld 6 of the Claimant’s complaints of direct sex dis…