Jonathan Gibbons, a profoundly deaf legal adviser for Hands on Access Ltd, has won a landmark settlement from Peterborough County Court after it failed to provide a sign language interpreter, despite his repeated requests.

Two weeks before Mr Gibbons was due to represent his company at a hearing he contacted the court and requested that a British Sign Language interpreter and a note taker be available – a standard procedure in courts up and down the country. But Mr Gibbons said court staff bluntly turned down his request.

Mr Gibbons said: “I was furious because I was discriminated against by a body which is expected to uphold the law.

“It was a very stressful experience because I was being discriminated against personally, and, secondly, I could not adequately represent my company at this hearing, which could, and did, have adverse consequences"

Mr Gibbons (32), who is married and lives in Derby, said the out-of-court settlement was a victory for the deaf community.

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