Former procurator fiscal brings unfair dismissal claim against COPFS

Former procurator fiscal brings unfair dismissal claim against COPFS

A former procurator fiscal has brought an unfair dismissal claim against the Crown Office.

Laura Malone raised the proceedings after claiming bosses placed “excessive and continued demands” on her.

She also said she suffered a “mental impairment” while working in the service’s health and safety unit.

In her submission to the tribunal, she stated: “I complained about a team colleague’s continued behaviour to me upon my arrival within the unit.

“I was vocal to team members of my unhappiness in the unit due to lack of training, lack of supervision, lack of support and my resultant feelings of floundering given the specialist area of law.”

She added her experience was “commonly shared within the unit”.

Ms Malone was moved to the Forensic Gateway Unit after requesting a transfer but in her submission she states there were “staffing shortages” and an excessive workload there and that she began exhibiting “unrecognisable behaviour”.

She stated: “COPFS should have realised I was on another path occasioned by stress, should have listened to my complaints and found a solution to them. They did not.

“COPFS offered me no support, COPFS chose to ignore my odd behaviour, COPFS did nothing to investigate my complaints.”

She added: “By the time I left my employment in February 2013, their conduct towards me from 2010 in the H&S Unit had made me suffer a mental impairment which continues to this day.”

Ms Malone separately has a personal injury case proceeding through the Court of Session against the Lord Advocate from whom she seeks £1.3 million, arguing that he is vicariously liable for negligence on behalf of the Crown Office.

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