Cathy James
Partner
Cathy is an expert in whistleblowing law and practice. She currently sits as a lay member on Employment Tribunal panels, working across a range of employment law, including whistleblowing. She has worked with 1,000s of whistleblowers, advising them how best to raise their concerns while ensuring their rights are protected. Having qualified as a solicitor in 1993 Cathy worked in private practice becoming a partner in commercial firm, Kennedys for 5 years.
In 2005 Cathy moved to Protect, initially as Legal Officer and later as Legal Director. She was appointed CEO in 2011 and oversaw the development of business services, ensuring the ongoing success of the charity as a self-funding organisation. Extensive overseas work included projects run by UNODP, OECD, the Open Society Justice Initiative and the Council of Europe as well as assignments for the Ministry of Labour in Saudi Arabia, Mexico and anti-corruption officials from states as diverse as Indonesia, Bulgaria, Korea, Serbia and the Czech Republic, as well as many state parties in Europe.
Cathy established the Whistleblowing Commission in 2012 to conduct a review of the effectiveness of whistleblowing in the UK. The work of the commission and associated public consultation was instrumental in bringing about changes to the whistleblowing law in 2013, providing an improved set of rights for whistleblowers. Cathy was awarded an OBE for her services to employment rights in June 2015.
Cathy is keenly interested in defending the rights of individuals and protecting the rule of law. She has always been motivated by social justice and applies this passion to her work with whistleblowers. She combines a practical approach with a focus on the tactical and understands the need to make the complex seem simple, to ensure the best outcome for her clients.
Cathy has recently worked on numerous high-profile cases for JWL including those involving the UK government’s withdrawal from Afghanistan (Stewart v Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office), whistleblowing in a murder investigation, whistleblowing in financial services, in housing developments, in the NHS and in the private and public sectors generally. She has particular recent expertise on ground rules hearings regarding reasonable adjustments for Claimants. She also has expert knowledge on the difficult issues surrounding the protection of external disclosures, interfacing National Security issues and the Civil Service Code of Practice. Further she has particular expertise on navigating whistleblowing through complex corporate structures in the Construction industry. She is particularly keen to explore mediation and quick settlements options for her clients, but always with one eye on the outcome for the public interest.
Cathy is currently a trustee of WhyMe? A charity seeking restorative justice for victims of crime; Whistleblowing International Network aimed at fostering collaboration for NGO’s working on whistleblowing around the world; and, the Rebecca Swift Foundation a charity focussed on the wellbeing and professional development of women poets.