Laird granted leave to appeal court costs
A former Chartered Institute of Housing chief executive who won a case brought by former employer Cheltenham Council has been granted leave to appeal against her legal costs.
Christine Laird was taken to court by the council, where she was managing director from 2002 to 2004, for £1 million damages. The local authority accused her of ‘deliberately or negligently’ concealing a history of depressive illness when she applied for the job.
Although the council lost its action against her, Mrs Laird was ordered to pay 35 per cent of her own costs. Normally defendants in failed fraud cases are exempt from paying costs.
Ms Laird’s husband Hugh said: ‘We are of course pleased we have been given leave to appeal. But this is just one more step on a long road to recovery for Christine.
‘We will also be awaiting the outcome of the full auditor’s inquiry into just why Cheltenham Council saw fit to squander such a huge amount of taxpayers’ money on this futile but vindictive action against a mentally ill woman.’
Ms Laird was chief executive of the CIH between 1994 and 1998.
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