An employment tribunal has ruled that legal recruiter Career Legal wrongfully dismissed a part-time temps controller after a lunch with a client. Heather Cockbain was summoned to a disciplinary hearing after Una McGurry, another Career Legal employee who was at the lunch, alleged she had brought the firm into disrepute and made defamatory remarks about a director.

After chairing her disciplinary hearing, Career Legal managing director Charles Norton – who is McGurry’s partner – ruled that McGurry’s account was “far more credible” and dismissed Cockbain for gross misconduct on 19 December, 2003.

In a two-day hearing, the tribunal took just seven minutes to decide that Cockbain had been wrongfully and unfairly dismissed, criticising Career Legal’s disciplinary procedure and investigation.

Remedies will be determined in September.