Obiektywne uzasadnienie jako istotny element dyskryminacji pośredniej – uwagi na tle orzecznictwa Trybunału Sprawiedliwości UE
Objective Justification as an Important Element of Indirect Discrimination – Reflections on the Basis of the Case-Law of the Court of Justice

Summary/Abstract: The article concentrates on the case-law of the Court of Justice concerning indirect discrimination, in particular one of its elements called objective justification. It should be noticed that this form of discrimination refers to neutral criteria which are not forbidden as such but their application puts the group of persons protected in a disadvantageous position. Such indirectly discriminatory measures can be justified by a legitimate aim but the means used to achieve it should be appropriate and necessary. These legitimate aims cannot be connected with any discrimination based on the forbidden criterion e.g. nationality, sex, age, disability etc. According to the case-law of the Court of Justice their list is not closed. However, legitimate aims can be divided into three groups: those that are related to the public interest and those that refer to the job or the company as a whole. It is interesting to note that the Court of Justice allows employers or service providers to refer to economic factors which is criticised by the doctrine of European Law. It is suggested that it should limit the list of aims which may justify indirect discrimination. Wide discretion in this regard may lead to weakening of the effectiveness of the prohibition of indirect discrimination. Another important element of this form of discrimination is proportionality of the measures applied to achieve a legitimate aim. The Court of Justice has not always applied the same proportionality test in relation to the measures undertaken by the Member States and by employers or service providers. However, the Court has changed its approach recently and has started to assess the proportionality of the measure in a similar way. On the whole it should be underlined that the Court of Justice plays a decisive role in the practical application of indirect discrimination. It can contribute to strengthening of the effectiveness of its prohibition e.g. by taking into account proportionality sensu stricto in the frames of objective justification and investigating whether there is an excessive restriction of individual rights in relation to the legitimate aim.

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