CELEX: 62015CN0443
Language: en
Date: 2015-08-13 00:00:00
Title: Case C-443/15: Reference for a preliminary ruling from The Labour Court, Ireland (Ireland) made on 13 August 2015 — Dr David L. Parris v Trinity College Dublin, Higher Education Authority, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Department of Education and Skills

26.10.2015   
            
            
               EN
            
            
               Official Journal of the European Union
            
            
               C 354/24
            
         Reference for a preliminary ruling from The Labour Court, Ireland (Ireland) made on 13 August 2015 — Dr David L. Parris v Trinity College Dublin, Higher Education Authority, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Department of Education and Skills
   (Case C-443/15)
   (2015/C 354/26)
   Language of the case: English
   
      Referring court
   
   The Labour Court, Ireland
   
      Parties to the main proceedings
   
   
      Applicant: Dr David L. Parris
   
      Defendants: Trinity College Dublin, Higher Education Authority, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Department of Education and Skills
   
      Questions referred
   
   
               1.
            
            
               Does it constitute discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, contrary to Article 2 of Directive 2000/78/EC (1), to apply a rule in an occupational benefit scheme limiting the payment of a survivor’s benefit to the surviving civil partner of a member of the scheme on their death, by a requirement that the member and his surviving civil partner entered their civil partnership prior to the member’s 60th birthday in circumstances where they were not permitted by national law to enter a civil partnership until after the member’s 60th birthday and where the member and his civil partner had formed a committed life partnership before that date.
            
         If the answer to Question 1 is in the negative,
   
               2.
            
            
               Does it constitute discrimination on grounds of age, contrary to Article 2, in conjunction with Article 6(2) of Directive 2000/78/EC, for a provider of benefits under an occupational benefit scheme to limit an entitlement to a survivor’s pension to the surviving civil partner of a member of the scheme on the member’s death, by a requirement that the member and his civil partner entered their civil partnership before the member’s 60th birthday where
               
                           (a)
                        
                        
                           The stipulation as to the age at which a member must have entered into a civil partnership is not a criterion used in actuarial calculations, and
                        
                     
                           (b)
                        
                        
                           The member and his civil partner were not permitted by national law to enter a civil partnership until after the member’s 60th birthday and where the member and his civil partner had formed a committed life partnership before that date
                        
                     
         If the answer to questions 2 is in the negative:
   
               3.
            
            
               Would it constitute discrimination contrary to Article 2 in conjunction with Article 6(2) of Directive 2000/78/EC if the limitations on entitlements under an occupational benefit scheme described in either question 1 or question 2 arose from the combined effect of the age and sexual orientation of a member of the scheme?
            
         
      (1)  Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation OJ L 303, p. 16.