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Former MSP Tommy Sheridan loses social worker job legal challenge Former MSP Tommy Sheridan loses social work job legal challenge
(about 1 hour later)
Tommy Sheridan has lost his case at the Court of Session Tommy Sheridan lost his case at the Court of Session in Edinburgh
Former MSP Tommy Sheridan has lost his legal battle to overturn a council's decision not to employ him as a social worker. Former MSP Tommy Sheridan has lost a legal challenge to overturn Glasgow City Council's decision not to employ him as a social worker.
Glasgow City Council's Health and Social Care Partnership told Mr Sheridan there was an "unacceptable level of risk" in hiring him as a social worker due to his prior conviction for perjury. The city's Health and Social Care Partnership had said there was an "unacceptable level of risk" in hiring Mr Sheridan due to a past conviction for perjury.
The former leader of the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) then went to the Court of Session, claiming the local authority had acted unlawfully. The ex-socialist politician went to the Court of Session claiming the council had acted unlawfully. He told BBC News he had been victimised for his political past.
The judge, Lord Young, has said he agreed with submissions made by lawyers acting for the local authority that the decision could not be judicially reviewed. Judge Lord Young said he agreed with the council's lawyers that the decision could not be judicially reviewed.
Lord Young wrote: "It makes no difference that, in this case, the petitioner's complaint relates to a refusal by the respondent to consider entering into a contract of employment." Lord Young said Mr Sheridan "enjoys no private law right" to be considered for employment by the city council and was trying to apply broad public law concepts to fashion the right to be considered for such jobs.
He added that Mr Sheridan "enjoys no private law right" to be considered for employment by the city council and was trying to apply broad public law concepts to fashion the right to be considered for such jobs. He ruled: "If the petitioner's argument was accepted, then it would follow that every applicant for a public sector job in Scotland could potentially challenge the job application process using the judicial review procedure.
Lord Young ruled: "If the petitioner's argument was accepted, then it would follow that every applicant for a public sector job in Scotland could potentially challenge the job application process using the judicial review procedure.
"I find that the petition is incompetent for the reasons advanced by the respondent and it falls to be dismissed.""I find that the petition is incompetent for the reasons advanced by the respondent and it falls to be dismissed."
The Court of Session is Scotland's highest civil court
Tommy Sheridan led the Scottish Socialist Party from 1998 to 2004Tommy Sheridan led the Scottish Socialist Party from 1998 to 2004
Mr Sheridan had applied to become a criminal justice social worker with the council. Mr Sheridan served as an MSP for Glasgow between 1999 and 2007 before later retraining as a social worker.
In his job application, he disclosed he had been given a three year prison sentence in 2011 for perjury after a jury at the High Court in Glasgow concluded he lied on oath during his successful defamation action against the News of the World newspaper. He had applied to become a criminal justice social worker in Glasgow last year, but was rejected and told future applications would not be progressed.
But he was sent a rejection letter in August 2024 and later informed any future applications would not be progressed. In his job application, he disclosed that he had been given a three year prison sentence in 2011 for perjury, after he lied on oath during a defamation action against the News of the World newspaper.
At earlier proceedings, his lawyer Mike Dailly said the body which regulates social work in Scotland - the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) - had assessed Mr Sheridan as being a suitable candidate to work in the profession. Earlier this month, Mr Sheridan told BBC Scotland's Scotcast podcast that he had "no doubt whatsoever" that he was being blacklisted by the council.
He said: "I don't think it chimes with the spirit of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act to hold against someone a 15-year-old conviction.
"Particularly when I've already had to go through a vetting process, a very stiff vetting process from the body that was set up to regulate social care."
Mr Sheridan's lawyer Mike Dailly said the body which regulates social work in Scotland - the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) - had assessed Mr Sheridan as being a suitable candidate to work in the profession.
He argued the decision to reject the application was therefore "irrational".He argued the decision to reject the application was therefore "irrational".
Lord Young ruled against this, saying the registration with the SSSC simply meant he met the minimum statutory requirement for employment. But Lord Young ruled against this, saying the registration with the SSSC simply meant he met the minimum statutory requirement for employment.
He added an employer was entitled to use "additional criteria" when deciding who to interview or offer jobs to, such as prior convictions.He added an employer was entitled to use "additional criteria" when deciding who to interview or offer jobs to, such as prior convictions.
Mr Sheridan served as an MSP for Glasgow between 1999 and 2007. Mr Sheridan previously led the Scottish Socialist Party before it fell apart during the high-profile News of the World court case.
He remained involved in politics as a supporter of Scottish independence group Hope over Fear and became a founding member of the Alba party.