The Bar Council has called for a ‘more liberal regime’ for pregnancy or maternity leave discrimination claims.
Responding to the Law Commission’s Employment Law Hearing Structures consultation, the Bar Council said maternity and pregnancy-related claims differed from other areas of employment law because ‘an individual may be facing particular difficulties at this point in their life and the commencing of litigation may seem like one battle too many when they are juggling so many issues.
‘With a longer time limit, the individual would be able to focus on the merits of their claim rather than have to balance the decision to make a claim against their wellbeing.’
The consultation, which closed on 31 January, looked at the jurisdictions of the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and the civil courts.
