Courts / Ireland / Report

WRC sharply criticises Dept of Justice over protected disclosure investigation

Summary

The Workplace Relations Commission criticised the Department of Justice after the Prison Service's former HR director, Don Culliton, was re‑classified from witness to co‑accused in a work‑related investigation that also downgraded a potential protected disclosure. Culliton had made four protected disclosures in 2019 alleging the Department had failed to meet legal obligations in investigating a complaint about a prisoner transfer. The WRC found his claim that he was a whistleblower was not well founded and rejected his complaint under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. The adjudicator noted that the Department altered the terms of reference and changed his status, actions that the WRC described as "flattening the goalposts" and potentially dangerous. The decision highlighted that the Department's handling of the matter was extraordinary and that such changes should not be common practice. The case remains pending further adjudication on other pay discrimination claims involving Culliton and colleagues.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: WRC sharply criticises Dept of Justice over protected disclosure investigation. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• May 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• August 2022 Other
• 2023-11-10 Publication

Why: " He said he notified Mr Culliton's line manager and the original complainant, Mr J, about the one negative finding of the report because the Department of Justice "wanted to get the information out there". CNI source report

Case subjects

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial

Read the original CNI report