The Labour Court found that a firm of solicitors discriminated against a legal secretary on age grounds and ordered it to pay her £6,000 compensation. The determination was signed on 21 May 2001.
The worker was dismissed after the firm decided to recruit a significantly younger person for a redesigned post combining secretarial and quasi-legal services. The Court found that the firm had not considered her for the position or redeployment because it wanted a younger employee. It concluded her dismissal was connected to her age and amounted to discrimination under the Employment Equality Act 1998. The Court found it unnecessary to decide whether her employment had been temporary or permanent.