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04 May 2018 / Nicholas Dobson
Issue: 7791 / Categories: Features , Employment
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Safeguarding matters

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Reilly v Sandwell: paying the price for the wrongfulness of non-disclosure. By Nicholas Dobson

  • A headteacher who failed to disclose to her employer her relationship with a convicted child sex offender was fairly dismissed.

A primary school headteacher who failed to inform her governing body of a non-sexual relationship with a convicted child sex offender was found to have been fairly dismissed. So decided the Supreme Court unanimously on 14 March 2018. The case in question was Reilly v Sandwell MBC [2018] UKSC 16, [2018] All ER (D) 82 (Mar) in which Lord Wilson gave the lead judgment. Lords Carnwath, Hughes and Hodge agreed and Lady Hale delivered a concurring decision.

A close friendship

Miss Reilly, the appellant (who prior to her dismissal had had an exemplary disciplinary record) had a close platonic friendship with a Mr Selwood. They bought a property in joint names as an investment and also set up a joint bank account out of which to pay the mortgage instalments. Although they did not live together, the appellant occasionally stayed

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