Ex-UNISON president removed from tribunal panel over ‘apparent bias’

This morning, former President of UNISON, Chris Tansley, was asked to step down from the Tribunal bench which is about to hear a Christian freedom case supported by the Christian Legal Centre.

Mr Tansley was due to sit as one of the three panel members hearing the case of ‘Hannah’, a Christian primary school teacher who was sacked for raising serious safeguarding concerns with Nottinghamshire County Council over an 8-year-old who was ‘socially transitioning’ under the guidance of Stonewall in a primary school. The council had repeatedly rejected and ignored her concerns.

During Mr Tansley’s time as President of UNISON, he had made a series of pro-trans statements celebrating and affirming ‘Transgender Day of Remembrance’, and supporting extreme left-wing group, Hope Not Hate.

Before the hearing began this morning, Mr Tansley declared that he had worked for Nottinghamshire County Council, the respondent in the case, in their social work department.

Following a recusal application made by Hannah’s lawyers, who is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre, Employment Judge Peter McTigue ruled:

“Tribunals must be completely above any reasonable suspicion of bias or impartiality. It must be free from ‘apparent bias.’ 

“Mr Tansley should be removed from the tribunal. Hypothetical observer would believe the ‘risk was more than minimal.’  Given the sensitive nature of this case and that Mr Tansley was paid by the respondent up until 2023 he should be removed for ‘apparent bias.'”

Judge McTigue confirmed the case would proceed with a new tribunal member from the trade union side of the panel.

Hannah’s case has already faced concerning delays after a year ago the hearing collapsed when a lay member of the panel was found to have made a series of anti-Christian and anti-conservative statements on X/Twitter.

Judge Victoria Butler, presiding over the case, was forced to recuse herself and the whole panel for a ‘perception of bias.’

Mr Purkis had stated online that: ‘Only atheists should be allowed to run for office’, accompanied by, ‘Damn right, you won’t catch us killing in the name of our non-god’.

He also said of Christians: ‘If they’re that f***ing super how come there’s so much sh*t going on in the world?’ and ‘I need no “higher power” to tell me the right way to treat people and behave…’

The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office, supported by the Senior President of the tribunals and the Lord Chancellor, subsequently said that panel member Mr Jed Purkis’ comments amounted to misconduct, and he was given a formal rebuke.

There have also been recusals in other the high-profile Christian Legal Centre cases, such as Kristie Higgs and Felix Ngole, due to a perception of bias.

The case of the Christian teacher, known as ‘Hannah’ due to reporting restrictions, was scheduled to begin today after the case collapsed last year after the whole presiding panel at Nottingham Justice Centre was forced to recuse itself for ‘apparent bias.’

Following the recusal, the remaining members of the panel are now set to consider whether to lift the restrictions on Hannah’s identity this afternoon.

The hearing continues.