Race and equality campaigner wins £420,000 in case against Hackney Council

Disappointed: Hackney Council. Photograph: Hackney Citizen

A compensation settlement awarded to race and equality campaigner, Natasha Sivanandan, has been upheld following a thirteen year discrimination dispute.

Ms Sivanandan commenced legal action against the London Borough of Hackney in 1999 after she was unsuccessful in her application for a role as a training and development co-ordinator and race
discrimination case worker with Hackney Action for Race Equality (HARE).

A qualified barrister who has spent twenty-five years campaigning on race discrimination matters, Ms Sivanandan claimed that a previous discrimination case against HARE (following a rejection from a different position) resulted in unjust treatment during the interview process.

Having disputed the settlement, Hackney Council’s recent appeal was dismissed by Lord Justice Mummery, who described the lengthy proceedings as “Dickensian” and a “21st century version of a 19th century Chancery saga.”

A spokesperson for Hackney Council said: “We are disappointed with the outcome and are studying the judgement to decide our next step.”