Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Sexual harassmentCase lawBullying and harassmentLatest NewsHuman rights

Philip Green loses human rights case at ECHR

by Rob Moss 8 Apr 2025
by Rob Moss 8 Apr 2025 Sir Philip Green has lost his case at the European Court of Human Rights. Photo: Isabel Infantes/PA Images/Alamy
Sir Philip Green has lost his case at the European Court of Human Rights. Photo: Isabel Infantes/PA Images/Alamy

The European Court of Human Rights has unanimously rejected a legal challenge by Sir Philip Green to stop parliamentary privilege being used by UK politicians to disclose the name of individuals protected by court injunctions.

In 2018, the billionaire, who was chairman of the Arcadia retail group, was named as the man at the centre of the “British #MeToo” scandal, after the Daily Telegraph was prevented by an injunction from naming the executive accused of sexual and racial harassment of staff who had signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).

Philip Green and NDAs

Sir Philip Green named as businessman in sexual and racial harassment scandal

The use of NDAs in employment disputes amid the #MeToo movement

Presidents Club scandal: Is there any value in non-disclosure agreements?

Lord Peter Hain unveiled Green’s identity under parliamentary privilege saying it was his duty to name him, given the “serious and repeated” nature of the allegations.

Green “categorically and wholly” denied allegations of “unlawful sexual or racist behaviour”.

In Strasbourg last month, Green’s legal team argued that the UK, as a member of the European Convention on Human Rights, should ensure that parliamentary privilege is not used to circumvent court orders.

However, seven judges in Strasbourg today unanimously found there had been no violation of the right to privacy under Article 8 of the convention.

By a majority ruling, judges also found Green’s complaints under Article 6, the right to a fair hearing, and Article 13, the right to effective remedy, inadmissible.

The ECHR judgment said: “In keeping with the well-established constitutional principle of the autonomy of Parliament, it is in the first instance for national parliaments to assess the need to restrict conduct by their members.”

It explained that since the UK Parliament was “aware of the problem of parliamentary privilege being used to frustrate injunctions and has addressed the need for further controls”, the ECHR considered that “for the time being” it may be left to the UK state to determine the necessary controls to prevent MPs and peers from revealing information subject to privacy injunctions. The court considered that the need for appropriate controls must be kept under regular review at the domestic level.

Lord Hain said Green’s case was a “barefaced attempt to suppress” democratic protections, adding: “Sir Philip is utterly shameless. He should be apologising for bullying and abusive behaviour towards his employees, not trying to cover it up.”

Green’s legal team have three months to decide whether to appeal to the ECHR’s Grand Chamber for a final ruling.

Green’s reputation was previously damaged by the collapse of British Home Stores after he sold the chain for £1 in 2015 to a consortium led by Dominic Chappell, a businessman who had previously been declared bankrupt. In 2017, he agreed with the Pensions Regulator to offer a cash settlement of £363 million to plug the gap in the BHS pension scheme caused by the chain’s collapse.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 

HR roles in retail and wholesale on Personnel Today


Browse more HR roles in retail and wholesale

Rob Moss

Rob Moss is a business journalist with more than 25 years' experience. He has been editor of Personnel Today since 2010. He joined the publication in 2006 as online editor of the award-winning website. Rob specialises in labour market economics, gender diversity and family-friendly working. He has hosted hundreds of webinar and podcasts. Before writing about HR and employment he ran news and feature desks on publications serving the global optical and eyewear market, the UK electrical industry, and energy markets in Asia and the Middle East.

previous post
Fifth of flexible working requests denied one year on
next post
Hiring international workers: key considerations for employers

You may also like

Contract cleaner loses EAT race discrimination appeal

14 May 2025

Trans ex-judge to appeal Supreme Court biological sex...

29 Apr 2025

Darlington nurses’ changing room case delayed to October

3 Apr 2025

University of Sussex attacks Kathleen Stock freedom of...

27 Mar 2025

Court hears case on whistleblowing protections for external...

19 Feb 2025

Higgs’ victory has ‘profound’ implications for employers

12 Feb 2025

Met Police cannot dismiss by vetting withdrawal

11 Feb 2025

Employment Rights Bill: EHRC warns MPs of ‘cumulative’...

14 Jan 2025

McDonald’s chief accused of running ‘predator’s paradise’

8 Jan 2025

Investors pressure Amazon on union membership practices

5 Jun 2024

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+