Employment Law at 11: Real Cases, Real Lessons
Published on: 08/06/2026
Article Authors The main content of this article was provided by the following authors.
Seamus McGranaghan Director – Commercial, Education, Employment & Licensing, O'Reilly Stewart Solicitors
Seamus McGranaghan Director – Commercial, Education, Employment & Licensing, O'Reilly Stewart Solicitors
Seamus mcgranaghan 2021
LinkedIn

Seamus McGranaghan qualified as a Solicitor in O'Reilly Stewart Solicitors in 2003 and is an experienced Commercial Lawyer dealing with employment, commercial and education cases.

He has experience in the Industrial Tribunal representing both Claimants and Respondents and has provided seminars in relation to particular areas of employment law. Seamus is the only member of the Education and Law Association in Northern Ireland. He specialises in advising schools and colleges on policy matters, employment issues and student welfare. He is also responsible for the Education Law Quarterly Review.

In addition to having contributed at Legal Island’s Education Updates since 2010, Seamus in association with Legal Island provides a live “Employment Law @ 11” webinar on the first Friday of each month, dealing with all aspects of Employment law affecting Northern Irish employers.

Christine Quinn Knowledge Partner, Legal Island
Christine Quinn Knowledge Partner, Legal Island
Christine Quinn
LinkedIn

Christine joined Legal Island in June 2021 and is a qualified (non-practising) employment solicitor in both NI and GB. She has a wealth of experience in the legal, voluntary and in-house sectors, as a solicitor and paralegal, in both London and Northern Ireland. She trained at a leading London human rights firm and qualified into their employment and discrimination department, before joining the BBC’s in-house employment law team. Christine subsequently worked representing members of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) before taking a career break to run her own small business. Her return to law saw her join the Law Centre (NI) as interim Head of Employment law, before her move to Legal Island.

Seamus & Christine talk NI caselaw - shoplifters, swearing and ChatGPT!

Breen v Tesco Stores & Doherty [2026] - A cashier with COPD is told to chase a shoplifter. Her manager then questions her COPD, asks if she's on PIP and suggests a wedding means she's fit for work.

Preshur v DHL Supply Chain [2026] - ADHD, multiple investigations, a secret job offer and an employee who swore at the Employment Judge. 

Hegarty v Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service [2026] - Two Tribunals, one month apart, completely opposite views on AI-drafted witness statements. This one is unresolved, and it's heading your way.

Tell your HR colleagues or get your HR team around the computer and use the webinars as

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Disclaimer The information in this article is provided as part of Legal Island's Employment Law Hub. We regret we are not able to respond to requests for specific legal or HR queries and recommend that professional advice is obtained before relying on information supplied anywhere within this article. This article is correct at 08/06/2026
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