Ministry of Justice Slammed for Work Environment That Was ‘Intimidating, Hostile, Degrading and Humiliating’

The Ministry of Justice has been found guilty of racial discrimination, harassment, and constructive unfair dismissal by an Employment Tribunal, following allegations first revealed by Byline Times last year.

The case centred on Uzo Mbonu, a former prison officer at HMP Swaleside, whose harrowing account of racism, bullying, and neglect, which we reported as part of a Freedom of Information-led investigation that revealed the MoJ had failed to centrally collect data on complaints of racism made by staff or prisoners.

At the time, Byline Times reported how this lack of data had fuelled fears that the true extent of racism in Britain’s prison system was being deliberately obscured. Mbonu’s account — of being left on probation for nearly double the usual period, racially abused by colleagues, and denied bonuses due to forged paperwork — painted a troubling picture of institutional neglect and hostility.

Following a nine-day tribunal hearing and deliberation in late 2024 and early 2025, the panel upheld Mbonu’s claims of direct race discrimination, racial harassment, and constructive unfair dismissal. His claim of victimisation was dismissed, but the judgement is damning in its detail.

The tribunal found that senior colleagues called Mbonu a “dirty, money-grabbing Black c**t” and a “lazy Black c**t”. It ruled that his boss, custodial manager James Richardson, had dishonestly fabricated the record of a disciplinary meeting that never took place — a document later used to exclude Mbonu from a performance bonus scheme.

Despite the forgery being proven, the MoJ failed to discipline Richardson before he left the service. The tribunal criticised this inaction, calling it “more than just mismanagement” and evidence of differential treatment grounded in race.

The judgement concluded that the language used against Mbonu, the institutional indifference to his complaints, and the dishonest actions of his line manager cumulatively created a working environment that was “intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and offensive”.

In the words of the tribunal: “The burden of proof shifts to the respondent and the respondent has failed to discharge its burden… We are not persuaded it was merely unreasonable treatment.”

Speaking after the ruling, Mbonu told Byline Times: “This has been a long, painful journey. I stood alone for years while those around me stayed silent. I raised complaints, wrote emails, followed the rules — and I was punished for it. This judgement proves what I knew all along: that racism is real and rampant in the prison system, and it destroys lives.”

He added: “Byline Times told my story when others looked away. Without that exposure, I don’t think justice would have been served.”

The tribunal also criticised the Ministry of Justice’s conduct throughout the process, noting serious failures in disclosure, unresolved internal complaints, and what it described as the “unusual tolerance” of racist language within the prison system.

It was clear, the judgement said, that Mbonu was ostracised by colleagues and that his attempts to challenge racism were repeatedly ignored.

In its original investigation, Byline Times had already revealed that the MoJ did not centrally track racism complaints, making it impossible to assess the scope of the problem. That remains the case.

At the time, a Prison Service spokesperson said they were “determined to stamp out discrimination”, citing training and diversity efforts.

The tribunal ruling, however, lays bare the deep failings of those initiatives in practice. “This is a landmark ruling — not only for Uzo Mbonu, but for the wider question of institutional racism in the UK’s criminal justice system. It is a clear reminder that silence, obfuscation, and bureaucratic neglect have no place in a service that claims to serve justice.”

A remedy hearing is expected later this year to determine the compensation due to Mbonu.