Prison minister’s age claim dismissed at tribunal

Apr 26 2008 by Richard Down, Liverpool Daily Post

A SIKH minister was told he was too old to take on a chaplaincy at a Liverpool prison, only to be then offered part-time work doing the same job, an employment tribunal heard.

Yesterday Hardev Singh Sohal, 67, of Willaston, Wirral, argued he had been the victim of age discrimination because of HMP Kennet’s actions.

He had been working as a Sikh chaplain for HMP Altcourse, HMP Risley and the HM Young Offenders Institution Thorn Cross, for years when a job was advertised in the new Maghull prison.

Stephen Rochford, for Mr Sohal, said: “In the job advert, there were no age bars, but it stated it was an equal opportunity employer.

“He was the only potential applicant for the job.

“He had been working in the prison service for over two years and there’s no suggestion of a lack of competence. And yet, he’s considered unsuitable candidate on grounds of age. This surely can’t be considered just.”

However, Nigel Grundy, for the respondents, said employment law provided an exception to the age discrimination legislation when recruiting which allowed employers to reject applicants who were older than its normal retirement age. Mr Sohal is 67 and HMP Prison staff retire at 65.

The case was dismissed.