Case notes - A Case of Unfinished Business? How NH v Associazione Avvocatura per i diritti LGBTI – Rete Lenford Exposes Shortcomings in the CJEU’s Interpretation of Directive 2000/78/EC

Pagespp 151 - 163
Published date12 July 2022
Date12 July 2022
151
A Case of Unnished Business? How NH v
Associazione Avvocatura per i diritti LGBTI – Rete
Lenford exposes shortcomings in the CJEU’s
Interpretation of Directive 2000/78/EC
SORCHA BRADY*
I. Introduction
On 23 April 2020, the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European
Union (the ‘CJEU’) gave a preliminary ruling in the case of NH v Associazione
Avvocatura per i diritti LGBTI – Rete Lenford (‘NH’).1 e CJEU concluded that
homophobic statements made in a public interview concerning employment were
directly discriminatory and contravened provisions of Council Directive 2000/78/
EC (the ‘Directive’),2 even though there was no active recruitment campaign when
the statements were made.3
Although NH did not establish a new point of law,4 it is the third in a trilogy
of cases concerning discriminatory statements made in public about people in
protected categories in the employment context.5
is case note will rst provide the facts and procedural history leading up to the
judgment. Secondly, it will summarise the decision of the CJEU before nally
arguing that, although the decision oers valuable clarications regarding the
* BCL (UC D), Intern at Philip Lee. e author would like to thank Dr Sara Benedí Lahuerta for her
advice and support in writing this case note. e author is also very grateful to Mike Mesbur for his
comments on earlier dras. Any views or opinions expressed in this case note are the personal views
and opinions of the author.
1 Case C-507/18 NH v Associazione Avvocatura per i diritti LGBTI – Rete Lenford [2020]
ECLI:EU:C:2020:289.
2 Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal
treatment in employment and occupation [2000] OJ L303/16.
3 Case C-507/18 NH v Associazione Avvocatura per i diritti LGBTI – Rete Lenford [2020]
ECLI:EU:C:2019:922, Opinion of Advocate General Sharpston (AG Opinion), para 20.
4 Alina Tryfonidou, ‘Case C-507/18 NH v Associazione Avvocatura per i diritti LGBTI – Rete
Lenford: Homophobic Speech and EU Anti-discrimination Law’ (2020) 27(4) Maastricht Journal
of European and Comparative Law 513, 514.
5 Case C-54/07 Centrum oor Gelijkheid van kansen en oor racismebestrijding v Firma Feryn NV
[2008] ECLI:EU:C:2008:397 (Fe ryn); Case C-81/12Asociaţia Accept v Consiliul Naţional pentru
Combaterea Discriminării [2013] ECLI:EU:C:2013:275 (Asociaţia Accept); Uladzislau Belavusau,
‘e NH Case: On the “Wings of Words” in EU Anti-discrimination Law’ (2020) 5(2) European
Papers – A Journal on Law and Integration 1001, 1001, 1020.

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT