The Guardian have now produced a summary of the first week of the Cambridge Whistleblowing Tribunal here. A consequence of the failure to settle the case is that the details are now entering the public domain through witness testimony, which can be freely reported.
At the Institute of Astronomy in 2021, colleagues intervened to protect a distressed staff member. They themselves were made subject of a Grievance
He claimed no action was taken to protect Dr Tausch-Pebody, but grievances were instead raised against himself and two other professors by the Institute of Astronomy’s director, Prof Richard McMahon. Evans said: “It is unprecedented in Cambridge University for a head of department to make a Grievance against three professors simultaneously.”
The university dismissed McMahon’s allegations against the professors, saying no evidence had been submitted in support of the claims. Evans told the tribunal that despite the lack of evidence, the complaint “took almost two years for the university to dismiss”.
The barrister Akua Reindorf KC is defending the case for the University.
Reindorf said the University of Cambridge is defending Evans’ claim “at very great expense”.
Akua Reindorf KC, for the University of Cambridge, suggested Evans’ emotional testimony in court about the suicide of a former colleague amounted to “crocodile tears”. “No, and that is an offensive thing to say,” Evans replied.
Prof McMahon has still not been withdrawn his allegations, despite never presenting any evidence. His assertions against Prof Evans and Prof Haehnelt were found defamatory and admitted untrue in the defamation case.
Yesterday in open court, the individual who initiated the investigation into Prof McMahon’s grievance —despite seemingly multiple violations of the University’s ‘Dignity at Work’ policy — continued his cross-examination.
Counsel for Prof Evans, Stuart Brittenden KC, asked Prof Nigel Peake whether he accepted any responsibility for what had occurred.
Prof Nigel Peake said that he did not.
1 Comment
TheResearcher · 16 June 2026 at 06:35
Prof Nigel Peake said that he did not accept any responsibility for what had occurred in his own School regarding the behaviour of the people he managed directly, such as a Head of Department… This claim from Prof Peake illustrates vividly the culture that we have at Cambridge.
I can only say that I hope that Darwin College is following the hearings and that their Fellows had the chance to go through the bundle carefully.