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Baby P chief: My dismissal was illegal
Jack Lefley9 Jan 2009
THE council chief sacked over the Baby P abuse scandal is claiming ministers acted illegally by firing her.
Sharon Shoesmith, 55, who was dismissed last month for "devastating" failures, is fighting for up to £173,000 compensation.
A 500-page dossier claims both Children's Secretary Ed Balls and Haringey council broke the law by firing her.
Her lawyers say the damning report into the scandal which led to her dismissal was untrue.
Mrs Shoesmith, who is understood to have hired Ken Livingstone's former lawyer Tony Child, refused to apologise or resign from her £110,000 job after 17-month-old Baby P died of abuse while he was on the council's at-risk register.
A source said Mrs Shoesmith had come out "all guns blazing". They added: "[She] is basing her appeal on the grounds that the panel failed to apply the law properly, and failed to check whether the findings of the highly critical report were true."
Baby P died in his cot after suffering 50 injuries. Social workers saw him about 60 times yet he was left with his abusive mother and step-father and their lodger. All three await sentencing.
The verdict on Mrs Shoesmith's compensation hearing is due in a fortnight.
Reader views (12)
By comparison, look at that BBC controller who resigned over the Jonathan Ross scandal because it happened on 'her watch'.
This woman is a joke, the refused from day 1 that the Baby P story broke to accept any liability; despite being the person at the top.
I hope this action of hers fails, and she is ostracized for taking it.... no 'news'papers paying her for her side of the story etc. The fact that someone could try and make some money out of this is simply appalling.
- Craig, Southampton, UK, 25/01/2009 09:31
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She was paid -handsomely - to lead the department - she should accept responsibility when the department failed miserably to protect those in its care. Trying to screw more taxpayers money out of the council is just a typical action of a nu-labor type - not that of a real leader
- Linzi, Largo, USA, 09/01/2009 15:40
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Yes, but let's face it: any honourable person would have resigned.
- Roz, Chamonix, France, 09/01/2009 15:13
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Thank god I do not live downwind of a Lawyer !
- Alex, Soton, 09/01/2009 14:25
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Why do all these bureaucrats think they are above the law just because they have the Labour party card??
- Norman The Man, London, 09/01/2009 12:43
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It is also illegal to allow a child to die through wilful or malign neglect.
- Neil, london uk,, 09/01/2009 12:27
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Hmmm, so what exactly isn't true? Is Baby P still alive? Was Baby P not on the at risk register? Did Haringey social services fail to protect a child in their care (again)? Were you not in charge of the department that failed in protecting a child resulting in it's death? Perhaps I missed something but everything seems to point to failure within a department that you were managing, thus the buck stops at your door.
- Bob, Cheam, 09/01/2009 12:12
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can well believe that ed balls (like the rest of his government cronies) dont bother with niceties like keeping what they do legal. If she wins her appeal balls should resign in shame (some hope!)
- John Lowe, london, 09/01/2009 11:52
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How does this woman sleep at nights?
- P I Staker, London, 09/01/2009 11:19
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This woman really is something else. If she wins this case it will open the floodgates for everyone in every walk of life to take no responsibility whatsoever for their jobs and any actions/inactions THEY are ultimately responsible for!
- Sue, Orpington, Kent, 09/01/2009 10:42
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She should not get a penny in compensation, this woman was totally incompetent and uncaring.
- Maggie, London, 09/01/2009 10:33
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This is typical Nu Labor culture. It should be stopped. We need proper government and regulator.
- Georgie, Islington, London, 09/01/2009 10:21
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