Law Commons^™

Surrogacy, Equal Status And Social Welfare Benefits, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

Social Security, Discrimination And Justification Under The European Convention On Human Rights, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

This article considers the current state of the law concerning justification of potentially discriminatory treatment in the area of social security under the European Convention on Human Rights. Over time the UK courts have become familiar with the Convention and have improved their interpretation of human rights law and, in particular, non-discrimination under Article 14 of the Convention. The final step in this process is the consideration of proportionality in relation to the justification of potentially discriminatory provisions. There have been a number of recent important decisions on this issue from the Supreme Court including the Recovery of Medical Costs …

The European Convention On Human Rights, The Un Convention On The Rights Of The Child And The ‘Benefit Cap’ - R (Sg) V Secretary Of State For Work And Pensions [2015] Uksc 16, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

This note looks at the recent decision of the UK Supreme Court in the 'benefit cap' case. The Court narrowly rejected the appeal concerning whether the benefit cap was in breach of Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights but some judges would have held that the cap was in breach of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Social Assistance And The Right To Reside At The European Court Of Justice – Dano V Jobcenter Leipzig, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

This case involves an important decision of the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) in relation to when Member States may refuse benefits to non-nationals who do not have a right of residence under EU law. The Court held that Article 24(1) of Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States and Article 4 of Regulation No 883/2004 did not preclude a national law under which nationals of other Member States are excluded from entitlement to certain …

The Right To Freedom From Discrimination: Child Poverty Action Group V Attorney General, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

This case comment examines recent jurisprudence concerning the right to freedom from discrimination under the New Zealand Human Rights Act (HRA) and Bill of Rights Act (NZBORA). In particular, it examines the ruling of the Court of Appeal in Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) v Attorney General, and also considers relevant aspects of the decisions in Ministry of Heath v Atkinson and Attorney General v IDEA Services. These three decisions have marked an important step forward in the interpretation of the human rights provisions by the New Zealand courts. Following an introduction to the issues raised in the CPAG case …

Pregnancy As A ‘Personal Circumstance’? A Case Study Of Equality Jurisprudence Under The Canadian Charter Of Rights, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

This article examines the recent decision of the Federal Court of Appeal in Miceli-Riggins v Attorney General of Canada as an example of the approach which the Canadian courts are taking to the interpretation of s. 15 of the Charter of Rights (in the area of social benefits) following the Supreme Court’s recent attempts to ‘restate’ that law in a series of cases. It argued that, whatever the intention of the Supreme Court, the restatement of the law has created general confusion in the lower courts and tribunals. In addition, in cases concerning social benefits, the Court’s statements, in cases …

Pension ‘Splitting’, Property Rights, Equality And The Canadian Charter Of Rights - Runchey V. Canada (Attorney General), 2013 Fca 16, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

This note discusses the decision of the Federal Court of Appeal in Runchey v. Canada (Attorney General). The case concerned an equality challenge concerning provisions of the Canada Pension Plan (the Plan) under s. 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. This was dismissed by the Court. However, the main focus of this note is to point out that it is arguable that the main issue raised in the case (i.e. the loss of pension rights by one spouse without any gain to the other) is not a s. 15 equality issue but rather an unjust deprivation …

Religious Freedom And Workers’ Compensation - Big Sky Colony V Montana Department Of Labor And Industry, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

Social security and health care litigation has played a prominent role in the development of the jurisprudence concerning the religious clauses of the US Constitution. At the time of writing further litigation in this area is ongoing with initial rulings having been handed down in relation to challenges concerning the compatibility of the PPACA’s contraceptive mandate with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). This note considers an interesting recent decision of the Montana supreme court which considered the constitutionality of an extension of coverage under the Montana workers’ compensation code to colonies of the Hutterite (or Hutterian or Hutterische) Brethren …

Equal Protection: Immigrants' Access To Healthcare And Welfare Benefits, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

The adoption of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (hereinafter “PRWORA”) led to considerable litigation over immigrants’ rights to welfare benefits and access to health care. The approaches adopted by different courts (both federal and state) diverged significantly based on the various statutory schemes involved as well as distinct approaches to equal protection. However, no “on point” cases have reached the United States Supreme Court, so the “correct” approach remains unclear. Following the fiscal crisis of 2008, several states moved for increased exclusion of certain immigrants residing in the country legally from state healthcare or welfare …

Snopa And The Ppa: Do You Know What It Means For You? If Snopa (Social Networking Online Protection Act) Or Ppa (Password Protection Act) Do Not Pass, The Snooping Could Cause You Trouble, Angela Goodrum

Angela Goodrum

No abstract provided.

Mobility Allowance And The Law, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

The Irish government has recently announced the abolition of the mobility allowance and motorised transport grant. It appears that this decision was heavily influenced by the Government’s view that ‘the schemes are illegal in the context of the Equal Status Acts’. Although the reform options considered and legal advice received have not been specified, the impression has been created that reform would be very complex and that it would be impossible to reform the existing scheme to make it legally compliant without a major increase in its budget. This note discuses the legal issues concerning the operation of the mobility …

Equal Treatment And Objective Justification In Social Security Cases Under The European Convention On Human Rights, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

This article discusses recent UK case law on equal treatment and social security with particular reference on objective justification in two important recent decisions: the Supreme Court decision in Humphreys and the Court of Appeal’s judgement in Burnip. There has been a marked and progressive improvement in the analysis of equal treatment issues under the ECHR by the UK courts. Decisions of European Court have helped to clarify that Article 14 is not narrowly confined to the grounds set out in Article 14 and that a broader range of statuses are also covered. The more flexible approach to comparators has …

A Case Of Premature Litigation: Surrogacy, Equal Protection And Social Welfare Benefits, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

The issue of surrogacy in Irish law has received considerable (if somewhat belated) attention following the decision of the High Court to recognise a surrogate mother as the child’s mother for the purposes of birth certification. The Equality Tribunal has also referred to the European Court of Justice a complaint in which it has been argued that the failure to provide leave to a surrogate mother was in breach of EU and international law. A claim has also been brought under the Equal Status Acts (ESA) arguing that the failure of the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to provide a …

Rational Basis With Bite In Minnesota: Unemployment Benefits And Personal-Care Assistants, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

The Minnesota court of appeals has recently come to an interesting decision on equal protection and insurability of workers, ruling – in Weir v ACCRA Care - that the exclusion of certain personal care assistants (PCA) from the unemployment insurance scheme was in breach of the Minnesota equal protection guarantee. This note examines this recent decision, contrasting it with the approach under the federal equal protection clause. The case is one of a number in different jurisdictions in which less favorable treatment of ‘family member’ carers has been struck down under equal protection and human rights law.

Equal Protection, Immigrants And Access To Health Care And Welfare Benefits, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

The Impact Of Recent Cjeu Rulings On The Presence And Residence Rules For United Kingdom Disability Benefits, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

This article examines a number of recent decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) and their impact on the presence and residence rules for disability benefits, in particular the disability living allowance (“DLA”). It considers the approach which the courts may take to the export of disability benefits in the light of these recent decisions.

Patmalniece V Secretary Of State For Work And Pensions [2011] Uksc 11 Supreme Court, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

This Supreme Court decision concerns the right to reside test in UK social security law. In brief, UK law has since 1994 had a requirement that, in order to be entitled to various non-contributory benefits, one must be habitually resident in the country. In 2004 in response to the accession of a large number of new Member States to the EU, a new right to reside test was incorporated into the habitual residence test. This means that in order to be habitually resident it is necessary to have a legal right to reside in the United Kingdom. All UK citizens …

Secretary Of State For Work And Pensions V. Sister Is, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

This case before the Upper Tribunal concerned the rules of the state pension credit (SPC) which, in effect, provide that ‘members of religious orders’ who are ‘fully maintained by their order’ have no entitlement to a state pension credit. As the Three-Judge Panel pointed out this is the rule ‘regardless of the actual amount of their income or their other circumstances’. The case concerned both the interpretation of these two phrases and – assuming the Panel found that they applied to the claimants – the compatibility of such an approach with the European Convention on Human Rights (the Convention issue).

Patmalniece V. Secretary Of State For Work And Pensions, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

In Patmalniece the Court of Appeal has considered the compatibility of the UK right to reside requirement with Regulation 1408/71/EEC on co-ordination of social security for migrants. The Court earlier upheld the compatibility of the right to reside rule with the EU Treaty in Abdirahman. However, this case was different in that the claimant – unlike those in the previous cases - was within the personal scope of Regulation 1408/71.

Human Rights, Anti-Discrimination And Social Security Benefits: Recent Uk Case Law, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

Since the adoption of the Human Rights Act 1998, challenges to UK social security law on the basis of the European Convention on Human Rights have become common - especially under the anti-discrimination provisions of Article 14. However, few of these challenges have been successful and, in general, the English courts have shown a poor understanding of the principles of human rights law. The recent decisions of the European Court of Human Rights in Stec (2005) 41 EHRR SE 295 and the House of Lords in RJM (2008) UKHL 63 have clarified important issues including the material scope of the …

The European Convention On Human Rights, Non-Discrimination And Social Security: Great Scope, Little Depth?, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

This article examines the non-discrimination provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights in relation to social security law. There is a now a broad power of review under the ECHR as most social security payments fall within the scope of the Convention. There is also a more flexible approach to the grounds upon which discrimination can be challenged under Article 14. However, it is suggested that the European courts may need to adopt a more nuanced (or proportionate) approach to equality review rather than a binary approach.

Widow's Pension And Gender Equality: Runkee V. United Kingdom, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

The long litigation saga involving the compatibility of UK legislation on survivors’ benefits appears to have come to a (not particularly glorious) end with the European Court of Human Rights’ (ECtHR) decision in Runkee and White v United Kingdom. This case involved a challenge to the compatibility of national law on the payment of widows’ pensions solely to women, similar to that considered by the House of Lords in Hooper and the ECtHR came to a similar conclusion holding that UK law was not incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Citizenship, Residence And Social Security, Mel Cousins

Mel Cousins

In two recent cases the Court of Justice has considered the impact of Union citizenship on the long-standing issue of the exportability of social security payments. These decisions clarify (i) the position of the Court in relation to the material scope of the protection provided by Article 18 EC, i.e. that the exercise of free movement is itself sufficient to bring an issue within the scope of the Treaty regardless of whether the issue actually in dispute involves a question of Community law and (ii) that the Court will examine residence requirements as a restriction on the freedoms conferred by …