Baby P case boss in new fight
THE social services boss sacked over the Baby P scandal faces a new legal battle with the Government in the Supreme Court.
The Department for Education is to challenge the Court of Appeal ruling that Sharon Shoesmith was unfairly dismissed.
Employment experts reckon she could receive £1million in compensation if the decision is not overturned.
She was sacked after inspectors Ofsted published a damning report into the death of abused 17-month-old Peter Connelly who died after suffering 50 injuries, exposing failings in her department.
The DfE said yesterday: “The Government thinks that it was right in principle for Sharon Shoesmith to be removed from her post as director of children’s services. Our initial application to appeal has been turned down by the Court of Appeal. We have now filed an application for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.
“There are questions of constitutional importance involved in this case.”
Ms Shoesmith’s career was left in ruins after she was removed from her post with London’s Haringey council in December 2008 by then Education Secretary Ed Balls and sacked by the council, which said it had lost trust in her.
Lawyers for Ms Shoesmith, 58, said she had been the victim of “a flagrant breach of natural justice” and she had been driven from her £133,000-a-year post without compensation by a media witch hunt and political pressure.
Appeal Court judges ruled that Mr Balls and Haringey Council had acted too hastily.