Proof allowed in ex-fiscal's claim based on work stress
A former procurator fiscal depute has been allowed proof in her action seeking compensation for loss of earnings, on allegations that stress caused by overwork forced her to quit her job, the Herald reports today.
Temporary Judge Robert Weir QC rejected arguments for the Lord Advocate, as head of the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service, that Laura Malone had made no relevant case, holding that despite her pleadings not being "a model of clarity", she offered to prove that her work conditions were such that by April 2012 she contracted a depressive disorder, and that over the succeeding months COPFS did nothing to address the issues of work overload that had been a consistent feature of her employment since 2010.
Ms Malone finally left the service in 2014, having worked there since 1991. She alleges that her complaints and requests for help were ignored. The Lord Advocate denies the claims.