Angela Gates brought a case of disability discrimination and constructive dismissal against her employer in 2021.
She says a hearing in front of Judge Lancaster made her feel “like a villain being prosecuted”.
She says: “I felt I couldn’t give my side on anything.”
The four-day hearing was held on Zoom, and Ms Gates, 53, says Judge Lancaster regularly shouted at her, repeatedly telling her to be quiet. She says his behaviour was “appalling and degrading, verging on psychological abuse”, adding: “I don’t believe I’ve been given a fair trial.”
In his judgement, the judge said he agreed with the defence’s description of Ms Gates as “tipping into paranoia”, saying this was not a criticism of her but “a fact, given her poor mental health”. Ms Gates says she found this grossly offensive.
“He has no medical training to reach that conclusion,” she says.
She appealed the judgement but didn’t complain about Judge Lancaster’s behaviour as, like many other litigants, “you are told not to complain on the grounds of bias”.
“You feel it will affect your case if you get personal about a judge.”
