CEDH · CASELAW;CLIN;ENG — 27 mars 1998

.s3ABFC313 { font-size:10pt } .sD4B5322E { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt; text-align:justify } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .sA241FE93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:18pt; text-align:justify; page-break-after:avoid; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-bottom:1pt } .s2EF62ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:12pt } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s8F2B0B1B { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12pt } .sEB86A30B { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:14pt; page-break-after:avoid } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s5F48796F { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s6863D229 { width:26pt; display:inline-block } .s8B6C6D43 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; border-bottom:1pt solid #000000; padding-bottom:1pt } .sDF790F1E { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s7ED160F0 { text-decoration:none } .s3DC36BA9 { font-family:Arial; text-decoration:underline; color:#0069d6 } Information Note on the Court’s case-law No. March 1998 Petrovic v. Austria - 20458/92 Judgment 27.3.1998 Article 14 Discrimination Authorities’ refusal to grant parental leave allowance to a father, on ground that allowance was only available to mothers: no violation [This summary is extracted from the Court’s official reports (Series A or Reports of Judgments and Decisions). Its formatting and structure may therefore differ from the Case-Law Information Note summaries.] A.   Applicability Recapitulation of Court’s case-law – allowance paid by State was intended to promote family life and necessarily affected way in which latter was organised – allowance enabled States to demonstrate their respect for family life and therefore came within scope of Article 8. Conclusion : Article 14 taken together with Article 8 applicable. B.   Compliance Recapitulation of Court’s case-law – existence of difference in treatment on grounds of sex and mother and father similarly placed as far as taking care of child concerned – Contracting States enjoyed a certain margin of appreciation, whose scope varied according to circumstances, subject matter and background – in that respect, one of the relevant factors might be the existence or non-existence of common ground between laws of Contracting States – no common standard in that field at material time, as majority of Contracting States had not provided for parental leave allowances to be paid to fathers – gradual introduction by Austrian legislature of legislation which was very progressive in Europe – there still remained very great disparity between legal systems of Contracting States in that field – Austrian authorities’ refusal to grant applicant parental leave allowance had not, therefore, exceeded margin of appreciation allowed to them. Conclusion : no violation of Article 14 taken together with Article 8 (seven votes to two).   © Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court. Click here for the Case-Law Information Notes