Reports of Cases

2006 I-03585

Subject-matter

Interpretation of Articles 4 and 7 of Council Directive 79/7/EEC of 19 December 1978 on the progressive implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women in matters of social security – Refusal to award a retirement pension at the age of 60 to a male-to-female transsexual, the age at which entitlement to such a pension would have arisen if that person had been born female.

Systematic classification scheme

Citations of case-law or legislation

References in grounds of judgment

• Directive 79/7 : paragraphs 22, 24, 39
• Directive 79/7 -A04 : paragraph 1
• Directive 79/7 -A04P1 : paragraphs 3, 30, 34, 38
• Directive 79/7 -A07 : paragraph 1
• Directive 79/7 -A07P1 : paragraphs 4, 35
• Directive 79/7 -A07P1LA : paragraphs 25, 34, 36
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -149/77 : paragraph 23
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -152/84 : paragraph 36
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -262/84 : paragraph 36
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -24/86 : paragraph 40
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -9/91 : paragraphs 34, 35
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -328/91 : paragraph 36
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -13/94 : paragraph 23
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -104/98 : paragraph 40
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -157/99 : paragraph 33
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -184/99 : paragraph 41
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -117/01 : paragraphs 21, 31
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -92/02 : paragraph 33
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -209/03 : paragraphs 41, 42

Operative part

• Interprets : Directive 79/7 -A04P1

Opinion

• EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 141 : point 32
  
• Directive 75/117 -A05P1 : point 37
  
• Directive 79/7 : points 3, 57
  
• Directive 79/7 -A01 : point 4
  
• Directive 79/7 -A03P1 : point 6
  
• Directive 79/7 -A04P1 : points 7, 37, 46, 47, 50, 54, 56, 58
  
• Directive 79/7 -A07P1LA : points 49 - 51, 55, 56
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -71/85 : point 54
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -9/91 : point 50
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -328/91 : point 55
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -13/94 : point 28
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -117/01 : point 31
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -209/03 : point 62
  

Dates

Date of the lodging of the application initiating proceedings

• 04/10/2004

Date of the Opinion

• 15/12/2005

Date of the hearing

Information not available

Date of delivery

27/04/2006

References

Publication in the Official Journal

Application: OJ C 300 from 04.12.2004, p.31

Judgment: OJ C 143 from 17.06.2006, p.13

Name of the parties

Richards

Notes on Academic Writings

1. Cavallini, Joël: L'âge de départ à la retraite d'un transsexuel est celui applicable au sexe acquis, La semaine juridique - Social 2006 nº 1450 p.31-32
2. Lhernould, Jean-Philippe: Sécurité sociale, Revue de droit sanitaire et social 2006 p.758-760
3. Lynskey, O.: La jurisprudence de la Cour de justice et du Tribunal de première instance. Chronique des arrêts. Richards c. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Revue du droit de l'Union européenne 2006 nº 2 p.462-466
4. Broussy, Emmanuelle ; Donnat, Francis ; Lambert, Christian: Discrimination, L'actualité juridique ; droit administratif 2006 p.1153
5. Conti, Roberto ; Foglia, Raffaele: Divieto di discriminazioni dei transessuali in materia di pensione di vecchiaia, Il Corriere giuridico 2006 p.1459-1461
6. Panaiotti, Leonardo: Il diritto antidiscriminatorio di genere al vaglio della Corte di Giustizia e della Corte costituzionale, Rivista italiana di diritto del lavoro 2006 II p.765-772
7. Prevedourou, E.: Epitheorisis Dimosiou Dikaiou kai Dioikitikou Dikaiou 2006 p.914-918
8. Longo, Erik: La Corte di Giustizia, i diritti dei transessuali e la riduzione delle competenze statali, Quaderni costituzionali 2006 p.581-584
9. Sobotková, Kateřina: Zásada rovného zacházení s muži a ženami v oblasti sociálního zabezpečení vs. změna pohlaví, Jurisprudence : specialista na komentování judikatury 2006 p.45-48
10. Tsadiras, Alexandros: Elliniki Epitheorisi Evropaïkou Dikaiou 2006 p.292-293
11. Jacqué, Jean-Paul: Jurisprudence de la Cour de justice des Communautés européennes en matière de droits de l'homme, L'Europe des libertés: revue d'actualité juridique 2006 nº 21 p.60
12. Banu, Mihai: Egalitate de tratament între bărbați și femei în materie de securitate socială. Directiva 79/7/CEE. Refuz de acordare a unei pensii pentru limită de vârstă la vârsta de 60 de ani unui transsexual ce a suferit o operație chirurgicală de schimbare a sexului masculin în sex feminin, Revista română de drept comunitar 2007 nº 02 p.84-86

Procedural Analysis Information

Source of the question referred for a preliminary ruling

Social Security Commissioner - United Kingdom

Subject-matter

• Social policy
  

Provisions of national law referred to

Pensions Act 1995, Schedule 4

Provisions of international law referred to

Information not available

Procedure and result

• Reference for a preliminary ruling
  

Formation of the Court

première chambre (Cour)

Judge-Rapporteur

Cunha Rodrigues

Advocate General

Jacobs

Language(s) of the Case

• English
  

Language(s) of the Opinion

• English