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Limited positive discrimination allowed

This report relates to 1 case(s)

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    Marschall v Land Nordrhein-Westfalen [1998] IRLR 39 ECJ (2 other reports)

    • Discrimination: Positive discrimination may be permissible under EC law

      Date:
      15 December 1998

      In Marschall v Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, the European Court of Justice rules that national laws giving equally qualified women priority over men for promotion in sectors where they are underrepresented may, in certain circumstances, be permissible under the EC Equal Treatment Directive.

    • EC law allows limited tie-break

      Date:
      1 December 1997

      In Marschall v Land Nordrhein-Westfalen the European Court of Justice rules that positive discrimination in favour of women is not contrary to EC law where an equally qualified woman is preferred for a post in a grade where women are underrepresented, so long as male candidates are guaranteed that the priority given to female candidates will be overridden where the selection criteria tilt the balance in the man's favour.

In Marschall v Land Nordrhein-Westfalen (11 November 1997) EOR77A, the European Court of Justice holds that it is not contrary to the EC Equal Treatment Directive for equally-qualified women to be given preference for promotion where there are fewer women than men in the relevant post, so long as male candidates are guaranteed that women are not to be given priority if reasons specific to an individual man tilt the balance in his favour.