The Banshee Labyrinth venue has admitted to discriminating against Jewish comedian Philip Simon when it canceled his Edinburgh Fringe show, a decision that led to legal action. The venue's owner, Morrison Bro's Ltd, agreed to the discrimination claim via a joint minute in court. Simon's legal team argued that the venue had prolonged the proceedings despite knowing its defense was untenable, admitting its unlawful actions on the eve of a hearing. His lawyer stated this led to avoidable expenses for Simon at every stage.
The venue's lawyer, Darren Cox, contested whether the matter could have been settled before litigation and argued that not all incurred costs were related to liability, proposing a deferral of the expenses decision. Judge Sheriff Roderick Flinn stated that the parties had agreed the defender discriminated against the pursuer, violating the Equalities Act 2010. The judge also found the defender's decision to accept liability on August 5 to be unreasonable. Expenses related to preparations for the substantive hearing will be awarded at a higher solicitor-client rate.