London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Sep 20, 2026

Allison Bailey: Barrister labelled transphobic, tribunal hears

Allison Bailey: Barrister labelled transphobic, tribunal hears

The views of a barrister were labelled "transphobic" in a colleague's email, a tribunal has been told.

Allison Bailey is suing her chambers and LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, arguing she was unlawfully discriminated against due to her view that sex is biological and cannot change.

Ms Bailey, who is a lesbian, argues her employer wrongly treated her views as transphobic.

Her law firm, Garden Court Chambers (GCC), rejects the claims she makes.

The tribunal heard that on 14 December 2018, GCC family law barrister Stephen Lue sent an email to employees to let them know the firm was becoming a "Stonewall Diversity Champion".

Under the scheme, the chambers paid Stonewall for continuing advice on how to create an inclusive workplace.

Ms Bailey opposed the move. She argued via email that Stonewall was involved in "harassment, intimidation and threats" made to anyone who opposed its viewpoint - a claim the charity rejects.


'Dirty transphobic laundry'


The tribunal heard that Ms Bailey wrote: "There are many of us within the LGBT community who fully support trans rights but who do not support the trans-extremism which is currently being advocated by Stonewall and others.

"I emphatically object to any formal association with Stonewall."

The following day, GCC barrister Michelle Brewer sent an email to Mr Lue, in which she wrote: "Great, now Allison's wholly unfounded allegations are going to be aired... nothing like washing our dirty transphobic laundry in public."

Ms Bailey alleges that as a result of her treatment, her income was "substantially reduced" in comparison to previous years, "most notably to 2018".

She says the central London law firm "withheld instruction and work" from her following these interactions.

Ms Bailey has raised about £500,000 to fund her legal case.

The GCC has said that it "strongly refutes" the claims made against it and that following an investigation in 2019 into complaints made about Ms Bailey's social media posts, it was concluded that no action against her was necessary.

The tribunal, being held at Central London Employment Tribunal at Victory House, continues.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ed Sheeran Tour Faces Backlash After Macklemore Is Removed Over Pro-Palestinian Remarks
Vandalism of Traffic Cameras Intensifies Across Parts of England
Nearly 300 Evacuated as Fire Hits Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone
King Charles Warns AI Executives About Risks From Uncontrolled Technology
Church of England Apologises for Role in Historical Forced Adoption Practices
UK Debate Over Online Speech Intensifies After Arrest Figures Draw Scrutiny
Oxfordshire Village Holds Symbolic Independence Vote Over Asylum Accommodation Plan
Nigel Farage and Richard Tice Sue National Crime Agency Over Alleged Banking Data Leaks
Apple Introduces Stricter Age Checks for UK Accounts
BBC Cash Reserves Fall 66% to £125 Million as Broadcaster Restructures
McLaren Announces £500 Million UK Investment and Plans 1,000 Jobs
Green Party Wins Historic Gorton and Denton By-Election as Labour Falls to Third
Burnham Government Prepares October Budget Under Growing Fiscal Pressure
UK Energy Suppliers Pull Fixed-Price Deals as Wholesale Markets Turn More Volatile
Bank of England Holds Rates at 3.75% as Middle East Energy Shock Raises Inflation Risks
Addison Lee Founder Loses £20 Million UK Tax Tribunal Case
BrewDog Creditors Face Losses on About £190 Million of Debt
Harrods Seeks to Recover Abuse Compensation Costs From Mohamed Al Fayed’s Estate
Ed Davey Targets Reform UK as Liberal Democrat Conference Opens
Great Britain Retail Sales Rise 0.5% in August
NHS England Approves Life-Extending Treatment for Incurable Breast Cancer
Proposals to Limit NHS ADHD Diagnoses Draw Criticism From Patient Groups
Resolution Foundation Warns of Housing Cost Crunch for Low-Income UK Families
BBC Cash Reserves Fall to Decade Low as Annual Deficit Reaches £121 Million
Millisecond Software Error Triggered Major UK Air Traffic Control Disruption
Twenty Women Underwent Unnecessary Mastectomies During NHS Cancer Care
Sensitive UK Police Data Found Vulnerable to Access by Foreign Actors
British Steel Faces Renewed Pressure for a Long-Term Financial Plan
MPs Urge Government to End Thames Water Restructuring Talks With U.S. Hedge Funds
Andy Burnham Warns of Difficult UK Budget Choices as Inflation Returns to 3.1%
England Tightens School Food Standards With Restrictions on Deep-Fried and High-Sugar Foods
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Proposed Asylum Centre
Michael Marra Elected Leader of Scottish Labour
BBC Cash Reserves Fall Sharply as Financial Pressures Mount
George Osborne Calls for UK to Rejoin EU Customs Union
UK Explores Joining Canada-Led Global Defence Bank
Thirlwall Inquiry Highlights Management Failures Surrounding Lucy Letby Crimes
Parliamentary Committee Calls for New UK Law to Address AI Risks to Human Rights
UK Considers Giving Regional Mayors Greater Oversight of Water Companies
UK Opposition Presses Burnham for Stronger Response to Russian Security Threats
Reform UK Faces Scrutiny Over £72 Million in Donations as Political Finance Rules Tighten
Millisecond Software Failure Behind UK Air-Traffic Outage That Cancelled More Than 2,000 Flights
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Energy Prices Complicate Inflation Outlook
Burnham Warns of Difficult Choices in October Budget as UK Inflation Rises to 3.1%
Addison Lee Founder Loses £20.5 Million Non-Domicile Tax Case
BrewDog Creditors Face Heavy Losses After Collapse
Thirteenth Metropolitan Police Officer Dismissed Over Charing Cross Conduct
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Asylum Accommodation Plan
NHS Approves Life-Extending Treatment for Women With Incurable Breast Cancer
Software Defect Blamed for Major UK Air Traffic Disruption
×