Tribunal consolidates two sexual harassment applications, exempts advisor from witness exclusion, and excludes bad character evidence.
The applicants filed human rights applications alleging sexual harassment in employment and a failure by the respondents to properly investigate.
At the commencement of the hearing, the respondents requested that the two applications be heard together and that the hearing be adjourned.
The Tribunal ordered the applications consolidated due to overlapping facts and the risk of inconsistent findings, and granted the adjournment on consent.
The Tribunal also ordered the exclusion of witnesses but exempted the respondents' advisor, provided he testify first.
Finally, the Tribunal ruled that intended testimony regarding one applicant spreading rumours was inadmissible character evidence.
