A barrister was fined nearly £7,000 after joining a tribunal hearing via video link from a noisy train while abroad. Michael Engelhardt-Sprack, who represents clients in employment and housing law, appeared remotely from Germany, where he lives with his family. He had received permission to attend the hearing remotely but was criticized for the disruptive background noise during his participation.

The hearing involved Shannon Burns, a technology executive who alleges wrongful dismissal by her former employer Gitprod, a company now owned by OpenAI. Ms. Burns is seeking record damages of £76 million, claiming discrimination after being fired for sleeping in a sauna while intoxicated.

The tribunal was initially delayed by 20 minutes on the first day after Engelhardt-Sprack logged in wearing headphones while traveling on a train in Germany. The presiding judge deemed the environment unsuitable due to the noise and postponed the hearing until the following day, requiring Engelhardt-Sprack to attend in person in Birmingham.

At a subsequent wasted costs hearing, Judge Rachel Wedderspoon concluded that the first day of proceedings was effectively wasted due to the unacceptable circumstances. She ordered Engelhardt-Sprack to pay £6,767.44 to cover the costs incurred by the delay.

Engelhardt-Sprack is a member of Garden Court Chambers in London and practices employment and housing law primarily in the UK, despite his permanent residence in Germany. The tribunal’s decision highlights challenges surrounding remote appearances in legal proceedings, particularly regarding the maintenance of appropriate professional standards and environments.