Date set for ex-period dignity officer's employment tribunal

Jason Grant was hired to help implement the legal right to free period products in Tayside

The employment tribunal hearing for Scotland's first period dignity officer is due to start next March and could last 10 weeks.

Jason Grant's appointment sparked worldwide controversy last year, with critics saying the position should have gone to a woman.

Tayside's period dignity working group discontinued the role following "threats and abuse" to those involved.

Mr Grant is suing the partnership on the grounds of sex discrimination.

The length of the tribunal is said to be unprecedented with questions likely to be raised about the cost of the hearing to the taxpayer due to publicly-funded bodies being involved.

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Mr Grant's role was created to ensure the legal right to free period products in public places.

The partnership responsible for hiring him, which included representatives from Dundee and Angus College, Perth College, Dundee Council and Angus Council, initially defended its decision.

But the role was axed within weeks following a deluge of criticism, including from tennis star Martina Navratilova.

As he launched a sex discrimination claim, Mr Grant's lawyer Ryan Russell claimed his client was "publicly dismissed" before being given written confirmation that the role had been scrapped.

Mr Grant's lawyers argued that all of the partnership organisations should be liable for the discrimination alleged.

Dundee and Angus College said that it wanted to take sole responsibility for defending the claims, but that bid was rejected by the employment tribunal last week.