Whistleblowing – Legal Lens

Darlington v Islington: COT3 settlements and whistleblowing protection gaps

Written by John Barwell 11 June 202611 June 2026

Whistleblowing · COT3 settlements · Early-years safeguarding The EAT decision in Mrs A Darlington v London Borough of Islington is an orthodox application of COT3 construction principles. Its wider significance lies in the gap it exposes: Parliament has created a sectoral recruitment-stage whistleblowing shield for NHS applicants, but not for workers in regulated early-years settings. … Continue reading “Darlington v Islington: COT3 settlements and whistleblowing protection gaps”

Dispute Resolution

Acas Early Conciliation: The ET1 Trap Claimants Cannot Afford to Miss

Written by John Barwell 28 May 202628 May 2026

Acas Early Conciliation is not just a pre-claim formality. It can pause time and produce the certificate needed for an ET1, but mistakes with certificate numbers, exemptions, respondent names or deadlines can still put a claim at risk.

Dispute Resolution

Do You Really Have Six Months to Bring an Employment Tribunal Claim?

Written by John Barwell 27 May 202627 May 2026

Do not assume you have six months to bring an Employment Tribunal claim. Current time limits, Acas early conciliation and interim relief still need urgent case-specific checking.

Dispute Resolution

High-conflict clients: why boundaries are part of good client care

Written by John Barwell 30 March 202631 May 2026

A practical framework for managing high-conflict clients while protecting process integrity, professional independence, and client care standards.

Legal Innovation

Legal work is not a single task. So why are we still using single-purpose tools?

Written by John Barwell 2 January 202631 May 2026

A reliability-first UK casework app in development to organise cases, evidence, chronologies, correspondence and SARs—without the hype.

Regulatory Matters

When Oversight Fails: How the Teignbridge Planning Scandal Exposed a National Protection Racket

Written by John Barwell 27 October 202531 May 2026

A Devon planning case has unravelled into a nationwide exposure of how Britain’s oversight bodies protect one another — and not the public they serve.

Regulatory Matters

The ICO’s AI Hypocrisy: A Toothless Watchdog Playing with Algorithms

Written by John Barwell 20 October 202531 May 2026

The ICO’s new AI policy exposes a regulator eager to appear innovative while remaining powerless to enforce the very standards it promotes.

Regulatory Matters

AI and the Self-Represented: How Technology Is Redefining the Fight for Justice

Written by John Barwell 13 October 202531 May 2026

A new era of self-representation is emerging as litigants in person use strategy, structure, and AI tools to navigate a justice system once reserved for lawyers.