The former dead of Christ Church College has been ordered to pay £4,500 in legal fees after the Church of England's Independent Safeguarding Board (ISB) accused him of acting "unreasonably".
Prof Martyn Percy sought to sue the ISB, saying he had lost all faith in the system, and that the board "continually misrepresented" that it was "an independent body capable of handling complex legal cases".
Prof Percy left the Church of England in May 2022. He wrote in Prospect Magazine that the denomination as "an unsafe place to work".
He raised concerns about a "parlous state of safeguarding" that caused him to "reflect deeply on the plight of victims and complainants".
His dispute with the CofE is believed to be fuelled by a three-year investigation into misconduct allegations against him, undertaken by the Church's governing bodies.
He was accused of "immoral, scandalous and disgraceful" behaviour in 2018, but was reinstated in his post the following year.
In 2020, he was accused of sexual harassment. The case reached a settlement in February 2022. It's believed the money offered to Prof Percy amounted to £1.2m.
After leaving the Church, the former dean sought to sue the ISB but to no avail, as the board wasn't deemed to be a legal entity against whom a claim can be brought, the court heard.
Speaking at Oxford County Court on Friday, Judge Lamb described the claim as "misconceived" and "doomed to failure".
The claim was withdrawn, with the ISB arguing that Prof Percy should be ordered to pay the board's legal fees.
The ISB hired solicitors from Plexus Law, accruing costs of £4,500.
