MONDAY 8 JUNE 2009
ACTION 4 EQUALITY SCOTLAND ISSUES APOLOGY TO UNISON MEMBER
Action 4 Equality Scotland, closely connected with no-win, no-fee
solicitor Stefan Cross, has been forced into publishing a full
apology to UNISON member Mrs Jacqueline Quinn.
Two separate articles which criticised Mrs. Quinn for taking
her equal pay claim away from NWNF solicitor Mr Cross provoked
anger and the call for an apology.
Mrs Quinn had been persuaded to use the solicitor by promises
of a quick result, but after months of waiting she decided to
take advantage of free legal help available from the union. She
was attacked on a website which also wrongly claimed that she
was liable to pay a £500 bill.
In December 2008 the Court of Session ruled that Newcastle based
Mr Cross' contingency fee contract with Jacqueline Quinn was void
and unenforceable in Scotland. The Court went on to ban Mr Cross
from pursuing a bill for £500 from Mrs Quinn, a home care worker
for Edinburgh Council.
UNISON Scottish Secretary Matt Smith, said: "UNISON was pleased
to help Jacqueline Quinn take a stand against Mr Cross and expose
the flaws in his contract. She was not in breach of contract and
it is only right that Action 4 Equality should apologise for the
offence they have caused.
"The case has also highlighted the potential for thousands of
other council and NHS workers in Scotland who have signed up to
Contingency Fee Agreements to reclaim money deducted from their
compensation."
The apology states: "We now accept that Mrs Quinn was fully within
her rights to challenge the Contingency Fee Agreement with Stefan
Cross and acknowledge that on 16th December 2008 the Court granted
an Order which declared that "the pretended contract for the provision
of legal services entered into between the Defenders and the Pursuer
for the provision of legal services........... is void and of
no force or effect,........... " and that in the same Order the
Court prohibited Stefan Cross from raising an action for payment
against Mrs Quinn "for sums due under (the) pretended contract".
Ends
For further Information - numbers above or any comments
from a Scotland perspective from: Peter Hunter - (Regional Organiser)
Equal pay - 07903 814118 (m) Chris Bartter (Communications Officer)
- 07715 583 729(m)
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