Legal proceedings
Important
In no circumstances should any member of staff admit liability to potential claimants or make comments, which could undermine the College's position. Both external and internal communications (other than those to or from the Legal Services Office) may have to be disclosed if a claim proceeds. The Legal Services Office should be consulted before any documents are released to potential claimants.
The commencement or defence of legal proceedings requires the approval of the College Secretary and the Director of Finance.
College employees should not themselves initiate legal proceedings or threaten legal action.
If you become aware of a problem which has the potential for litigation or receive correspondence (from external lawyers or otherwise) which indicates a claim against the College, you should immediately bring the matter to the attention of the Legal Department and preserve all relevant paperwork and electronic records.
Where the College receives a threat of legal proceedings, College officers should not respond to such threat without involving the Legal Department.
The College must advise its insurers of potential claims covered by its insurance policies as soon as possible and such claims should accordingly also be notified to the College's Insurance Manager. The College Insurance Manager may be contacted on extension 48666 or at insurance@imperial.ac.uk.