Ms K Mortimer, lay representative For the v Respondent — 2018

The claimant, Mr RA Werner, challenged the withdrawal of a conditional offer for the Director role at the Cambridge Centre of Housing and Planning Research. The judgment records that the case included direct discrimination allegations based on German nationality, Christianity, and the belief that "big banks are a cancer on society", and also notes that the unfair dismissal claim had already been rejected because he was never an employee of the respondent.

At this preliminary hearing the claimant withdrew the nationality claim, which the tribunal dismissed on withdrawal. The tribunal then considered whether the remaining discrimination claims should be struck out or made subject to a deposit order. Applying s.10 Equality Act 2010 and Grainger plc v Nicholson, it held that the statement "big banks are a cancer on society" could amount to a philosophical belief: it was genuinely held, more than a present-opinion viewpoint, weighty and substantial, and sufficiently cogent, serious, cohesive and important to be capable of protection.

The tribunal therefore refused to strike out the remaining religion/belief discrimination claims and made no deposit order, saying it could not yet decide the prospects of success without evidence from the decision-maker and further context for the "unorthodox views" email. It refused the late amendment to add victimisation because the proposed claim was out of time, inadequately explained, and would prejudice the respondent; the matter was then listed for a four-day liability-only hearing.