An employment tribunal has rejected unfair dismissal, age discrimination, victimisation and breach of contract complaints by a compliance officer against a group of legal businesses based in Greater Manchester.
All the claims made by Keith Mellalieu against law firms GLP Legal Management Limited, GLP Solicitors and GLP Prestwich failed. The claims were also brought against the group’s co-founders, Jonathan Pfeffer and Graham Leigh.
Mellalieu, 71, worked for the group for 23 years and was 68 at the time of his dismissal. His former employer, Pfeffer, a solicitor, is 11 years older than Mellalieu at 82, while Leigh, also a solicitor, and senior partner is 69.
In 2000, Mellalieu was hired as an account manager for a GLP business, but later became a compliance officer for finance and administration (COFA). He fulfilled various financial and regulatory roles for the group of entities operating as GLP over the 23 years of his employment.
He claimed that in the years preceding his dismissal he was regularly asked about his age and retirement plans, and that he was ‘talked to, almost shouted at in a most aggressive, bullying, threatening manner’ during a meeting. The claimant alleged that Pfeffer said to him: ‘You’re 70, where do you think you are going to get another job?’, and questioned his physical and mental health.
Following a 10-day hearing, during which Mellalieu represented himself, the judge...
Millions of Aussies will be cheering Ben Roberts-Smith after seeing his publicity campaign. But we must leave all these matters to a criminal court to decide – this time beyond reasonable doubt.