Why Do Harassment Inquiries Collapse on Appeal?
Rarely because facts were unknowable, usually because process failed: timelines missed, the respondent denied documents or cross-questions, findings written as conclusions without reasoning, or confidentiality broken so the workplace tried the case before the committee did. Appellate bodies and courts review the process; a fair one protects a sound finding, and an unfair one voids even a correct one.
Where Does Investigation Support Strengthen the ICC?
Committees are trained in law, not fact-finding. External support adds:
- Structured, trauma-aware interviewing of complainant, respondent and witnesses
- Digital evidence handling (messages, mails, CCTV) preserved and authenticated properly
- Timeline reconstruction that tests both accounts against records
- Neutrality that both sides can accept where internal politics run hot
What Does a Defensible Finding Look Like?
Reasoned, specific and grounded: what was alleged, what evidence supported and contradicted each element, why the committee weighed it as it did and a recommendation proportionate to findings. The standard is preponderance of probability, but the reasoning must show its work. That document, not the verdict alone, is what survives scrutiny.