Introduction of the case

Tawney Meiorin was employed as a firefighter by the British Columbia Ministry of Forests. Three years after being hired, the government adopted a series of fitness tests that all employees were required to pass.
案情介绍

塔尼 梅尔瑞恩女士（Tawney Meiorin） 是加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省一名森林消 防员。在她从事消防员三年工作期间， 表现十分出色。1995年不列颠哥伦比亚 省政府通过了一系列消防员最低体能测 试标准，她除了一项测试外，在其它所 有的测试中达标。

她没有通过的测试是要求在11分钟内至 少跑2.5公里。其目的是测试消防队员在 跑动过程中身体吸入氧气并送给肌肉所 能产生能量的比率。经过了四次努力， 她的最好成绩仍差49.4秒才能达到标准。 因此，她被解雇。她起诉该标准构成了 性别歧视，因为女性作为整体从生理上 吸收氧气的能力低于男性。该案直至加 拿大最高法院。
法院的判决逻辑


a difference of treatment between men and women must be justified on objective and reasonable grounds and there must be a reasonable relationship of proportionality between the means employed and the aim sought to be realised. the concern for protection which originally inspired the principle of the prohibition on night work for women is no longer well founded
欧盟法院的判决关键词

generality 标准太概括、缺乏透明和可分析性，
歧视与真正的工作需要 Discrimination and bona fide occupational requirement



Meiorin case 梅尔瑞恩案件 is a Supreme Court of Canada case 加拿大最高法院1999年判决

Because it has therefore not been established that the aerobic standard is a BFOR, the Government cannot avail itself of the defence in s. 13(4) of the Code and is bound by the prohibition of such a discriminatory standard in s. 13(1)(b). The Code accordingly prevents the Government from relying on the aerobic standard as the basis for Ms. Meiorin’s dismissal.

Commission of the European Communities v United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 欧盟委员会诉大不列颠及北爱the case

1975 Act, in the case of employment in a private household or in undertakings where the number of persons employed does not exceed five are justified by the exception of gender discrimination
案情介绍


Jean-Claude Levy, Director of Nouvelle Falor SA, who is accused of having employed, on 22 March 1990, 23 women on night work, contrary to Article L 213-1 of the French Code du Travail (hereinafter “the French Code”) Levy, 刑事追究，因为雇佣23名女性从事 夜班劳动

She passed all the tests except for one that required her to run 2.5 km in 11 minutes. The running test was designed to test the forest firefighters’ aerobic fitness. After four attempts, her best time was 49.4 seconds over the minimum allowed. As a result, she was fired.

extension of the prohibition on night work to workers of the opposite sex or the abrogation of the earlier international agreement
就业歧视与反歧视法 Employment Discrimination and Anti-discrimination Law
请你断案 Today, you are the judge!
歧视与真正的工作需要 Discrimination and bona fide occupational requirement
法院的判决

I conclude that Ms. Meiorin has established that the aerobic standard is prima facie discriminatory, and the Government has not shown that it is reasonably necessary to the accomplishment of the Government’s general purpose, which is to identify those forest firefighters who are able to work safely and efficiently.
法院的判决逻辑



1 就业标准、政策、实践，是否基于宗 教、种族、肤色、性别等法律禁止的理 由或者产生了对某一群体更不利的后果？ 2 该就业标准、政策、实践，是否与所 从事的工作有合理的联系？ 3 雇主采取时，是否已经真诚地、善意 地相信它对完成这一工作具有合理的必 要
歧视还是保护


Commission of the European Communities v French Republic 欧委会诉法国（1989，1991，1996）
案件介绍

1975 法案， 将在私人家庭里的工作及在5人以下的小 企业的工作排除在性别歧视法案的调整 范围之外
英国政府的理由




the sex of the worker constitutes a determining factor 工人的性别构成了工作的决定性的因素 the principle of respect for private life 对私人生活尊重的原则