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CORRECTING INEQUALITY THROUGH LAW: HOW COURTS CONCEPTUALIZE EQUALITY IN THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL JURISPRUDENCE

Description du projet

Comment les tribunaux peuvent résoudre les problèmes d’inégalité

L’égalité peut se définir par la condition d’être égal et par le droit de différents groupes de personnes d’avoir une position sociale similaire et de recevoir le même traitement. Bien que tous les principaux instruments nationaux et internationaux relatifs aux droits de l’homme comportent des normes protégeant l’égalité, il n’existe aucun accord sur ce que signifie ou implique exactement l’égalité. Dans ce contexte juridique, le projet EQUALITY, financé par l’UE, étudiera dans quelle mesure les garanties légales d’égalité tolèrent l’inégalité. Plus précisément, le projet analysera comment les tribunaux conceptualisent l’égalité dans le droit constitutionnel et le droit international des droits de l’homme. Par exemple, il examinera les facteurs qui influencent les tribunaux lorsqu’ils statuent sur des cas d’inégalité.

Objectif

Equality is one of the main political concerns of our time. Rising economic inequality is often cited as a major reason for the recent rise of political populism. But economic inequality is not the only problem. Inequalities based on gender, race or nationality are also major issues in the contemporary discussion. While most commentators discuss political solutions, the proposed research project analyzes the contributions that courts can make to correct inequalities. Norms protecting equality form part of all major national and international human rights instruments. However, the meaning of equality is fundamentally contested. There is no agreement on what equality exactly means or entails. The question, therefore, is not whether legal equality guarantees can tolerate inequality, but to what extent they can do. Because of these conceptual difficulties, the application of equality and non-discrimination clauses is not a straightforward exercise, in which courts simply apply legal norms to a given set of facts. Instead, courts need to develop doctrinal instruments to give meaning to the concept of equality. The proposed research project analyses how apex courts conceptualize equality in constitutional and international human rights law. It will be based on a comparative study of the equality jurisprudence of 16 jurisdictions and has three aims. Firstly, it intends to create a comparative map of equality jurisprudence, i.e. to describe and categorize the constitutional jurisprudence on equality: Which doctrinal choices do courts make and how do these choices inform the conception of equality? Secondly, it seeks to explain the doctrinal choices of the analyzed courts: Which factors influence courts to arrive at particular conceptions of equality? Thirdly, it has a normative goal and examines whether courts are better suited to correct certain kinds of inequalities than other kinds of inequalities.

Régime de financement

ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant

Institution d’accueil

UNIVERSITAET MUENSTER
Contribution nette de l'UE
€ 1 606 597,00
Adresse
SCHLOSSPLATZ 2
48149 MUENSTER
Allemagne

Voir sur la carte

Région
Nordrhein-Westfalen Münster Münster, Kreisfreie Stadt
Type d’activité
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Liens
Coût total
€ 1 606 597,00

Bénéficiaires (1)