The beginning of time… O’Connor v Bar Standards Board
A Human Rights Act claim based on alleged discrimination in the course of proceedings, appealed.
Supreme Court (Lady Hale, Lords Kerr, Wilson, Black and Lloyd-Jones) – 6 January
Executive summary
The date on which a cause of action for a Human Rights Act (HRA) claim based on alleged discrimination in the course of proceedings arose was upon the conclusion of the claimant’s appeal, bringing her claim within time. The Supreme Court also confirmed that such a continuous course of conduct amounted to an ‘act’ on which such a claim could be founded. On that basis, the claim under the HRA was within the applicable 12 month time limit.
Background
On 9 June 2010 the claimant barrister was charged by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) with professional misconduct arising out of her actions in litigation. A disciplinary tribunal found the majority of the charges proved on 23 May 2011 and the claimant appealed, under the appeal regime then in operation, to the Visitors to the Inns of Court (the Visitors). That appeal was successful, Sir Andrew Collins delivering the Visitors’ judgment in the claimant’s favour on 17 August 2012.
On 21 February 2013 the claimant issued the instant proceedings against the BSB, claiming breach of her Article 6 and 14 rights. BSB denied the allegations and pleaded a limitation defence, also applying to strike out. On 28 March 2014 Deputy Master Eyre struck out the claim as having no real prospect of success and being out of time. The deputy master rejected a plea for the time limit to be extended in accordance with the discretion to do so under section 7(5)(b) of the HRA. The claimant appealed.
On 18 December 2014 Warby J heard the appeal. The judge did not consider it possible for the court to say that the claimant had no real prospect of success but upheld the strike out on the grounds of limitation. The judge held that the ‘act complained of’ arose in June 2010, when it was decided that charges would be brought or when they were served. On that basis, the claim was 17 or 18 months out of time. Even if the act complained of was the tribunal decision in May 2011, time still ran out a year later.
The claimant further appealed to the Court of Appeal. On 25 July 2016 that court held that the 12 month limitation period started to run when the disciplinary charges were found proved by the tribunal in May 2011. A renewed request for permission to appeal over the refusal to extend the time limit by discretion was rejected.
On 8 December 2016 the Supreme Court allowed the case to be heard for a further appeal.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court identified the issues as follows:
- Whether the disciplinary proceedings were a series of discrete acts or a single continuing act;
- If a single continuing act, did that act end with the verdict of the disciplinary tribunal or the Visitors?
Additionally, the BSB sought to have the Court of Appeal affirmed on the basis that Warby J was wrong to find a real prospect of success. In support of that argument, the BSB sought permission to adduce new evidence of fact…. FULL ARTICLE