Dermot Ahern, T.D.,
Minister for Justice,
Equality & Law Reform
I am proud to introduce this CD-ROM, a joint initiative of the Equality Tribunal, the Equality Authority and of my Department, which presents the entire body of the Equality Tribunal’s caselaw for its first ten years of operation in searchable electronic form.
The Equality Tribunal has established a fine reputation for clarity and accessibility in reporting its decisions. This initiative further showcases the development of Irish caselaw on non-discrimination, both in employment and in the supply of and access to goods and services.
I believe this collection will prove an invaluable resource to the general public, to employers and suppliers, to legal professionals and the academic community and to all those who work towards establishing a fair and tolerant society in Ireland.
Melanie Pine,
Director,
The Equality Tribunal
On behalf of the Equality Tribunal in Ireland, I am delighted to present this CD-ROM which is published to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the introduction in Ireland of the current comprehensive equality legislation. This prohibits discrimination in both employment and access to goods and services, on nine grounds: gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race (including colour, nationality or national or ethnic origin), membership of the Irish Traveller Community.
• Employment Equality Acts 1998-2008
• Pensions Acts 1990-2008
• Equal Status Acts 2000-2008.
The disc includes the texts of all Tribunal Decisions on claims of discrimination issued since its establishment in 1999. The disc also includes each of the annual Legal Reviews which is a useful overview of the legal issues arising in the Decisions. Altogether this is an important original resource on the interpretation of Irish equality laws.
The Tribunal was established in 1999 as the first-instance decision-making body for claims of discrimination under the legislation. Its decisions are legally binding and are published on its website www.equalitytribunal.ie
It also mediates claims of discrimination but as agreements are confidential they cannot be included in this CD-ROM.
I acknowledge the key role played by the Equality Authority in promoting equality and helping to prevent discrimination. Without the pivotal role of the Minister and his Department in sponsoring the legislation and providing resources and support to the Tribunal, the work of the Tribunal would not have been possible.
Finally, I am proud of the ground-breaking work of the Equality Tribunal since its establishment in 1999 as the independent statutory body to decide at first instance claims of discrimination. I am confident that its dedicated quasi-judicial and administrative staff will maintain its high standards into the future.