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Same, same but different : Proportionality assessments and equality norms

Nilsson, Anna LU (2020) In Oslo Law Review 7(3). p.126-144
Abstract

Proportionality reasoning is an established form of legal argumentation under international human rights law, employed by the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations (UN) human rights treaty bodies alike. However, relatively little has been written about its precise role and content in relation to equality norms. Proportionality scholars tend to draw on other examples to demonstrate how proportionality reasoning works in practice, and legal scholarship on equality and non-discrimination has not fully explored whether or how proportionality argumentation can assist us in distinguishing lawful state practices from unlawful ones. This article picks up these loose ends and develops a model of proportionality assessment... (More)

Proportionality reasoning is an established form of legal argumentation under international human rights law, employed by the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations (UN) human rights treaty bodies alike. However, relatively little has been written about its precise role and content in relation to equality norms. Proportionality scholars tend to draw on other examples to demonstrate how proportionality reasoning works in practice, and legal scholarship on equality and non-discrimination has not fully explored whether or how proportionality argumentation can assist us in distinguishing lawful state practices from unlawful ones. This article picks up these loose ends and develops a model of proportionality assessment tailored to the non-discrimination context. The model breaks down proportionality argumentation into a step-by-step process and sets out clear criteria to be fulfilled at each step. It illustrates the distinctive features of balancing as a part of discrimination analysis and provides useful guidance to national authorities tasked with such balancing. It is anchored in existing non-discrimination jurisprudence but structured so as to facilitate more predictable outcomes than existing justification tests.

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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Equal treatment, European Convention on Human Rights, Non-discrimination, Proportionality, Robert Alexy
in
Oslo Law Review
volume
7
issue
3
pages
19 pages
publisher
University of Oslo
external identifiers
  • scopus:85099342111
ISSN
2387-3299
DOI
10.18261/ISSN.2387-3299-2020-03-01
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
862fea0e-7007-4a6d-9abc-2bb08a523dff
date added to LUP
2021-01-27 10:35:08
date last changed
2023-03-23 10:24:23
@article{862fea0e-7007-4a6d-9abc-2bb08a523dff,
  abstract     = {{<p>Proportionality reasoning is an established form of legal argumentation under international human rights law, employed by the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations (UN) human rights treaty bodies alike. However, relatively little has been written about its precise role and content in relation to equality norms. Proportionality scholars tend to draw on other examples to demonstrate how proportionality reasoning works in practice, and legal scholarship on equality and non-discrimination has not fully explored whether or how proportionality argumentation can assist us in distinguishing lawful state practices from unlawful ones. This article picks up these loose ends and develops a model of proportionality assessment tailored to the non-discrimination context. The model breaks down proportionality argumentation into a step-by-step process and sets out clear criteria to be fulfilled at each step. It illustrates the distinctive features of balancing as a part of discrimination analysis and provides useful guidance to national authorities tasked with such balancing. It is anchored in existing non-discrimination jurisprudence but structured so as to facilitate more predictable outcomes than existing justification tests.</p>}},
  author       = {{Nilsson, Anna}},
  issn         = {{2387-3299}},
  keywords     = {{Equal treatment; European Convention on Human Rights; Non-discrimination; Proportionality; Robert Alexy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{126--144}},
  publisher    = {{University of Oslo}},
  series       = {{Oslo Law Review}},
  title        = {{Same, same but different : Proportionality assessments and equality norms}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.18261/ISSN.2387-3299-2020-03-01}},
  doi          = {{10.18261/ISSN.2387-3299-2020-03-01}},
  volume       = {{7}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}