Compliance and enforcement aspects (horizontal provisions of all directives)

AuthorLídia Hermina Balogh
Pages77-86
77
11 Compliance and enforcement aspects (horizontal provisions of all
directives)
11.1 General (legal) context
11.1.1 Surveys and reports about the particular difficulties related to obtaining legal
redress
No survey or report is available from the last five years specifically on the issue of
difficulties related to obtaining legal redress in gender-based discrimination cases.
However, the Equal Treatment Authority and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS),
Centre for Social Sciences, Institute for Sociology undertook a joint research project, which
was published in 2017. Its findings include that only 44 % of the respondents were aware
of the very existen ce of the anti-discrimination legal framework in Hungary. This reflects
a decline compared to respective survey data from 2013, when 60 % of the respondents
knew of some legislation against discrimination in Hungary.446
11.1.2 Other issues related to the pursuit of a discrimination claim
There are no further additional issues regarding the pursuit of a discrimination claim in the
field of gender equality.
11.1.3 Political and societal debate and pending legislative proposals
There have been no political or social debates, and there are no pending legislative
proposals regarding the horizontal provisions of gender equality directives.
11.2 Victimisation
The Equal Treatment Act addresses the issue of victimisation by the provision on
retaliation,447 which is defined as conduct that causes an infringement, is aimed at an
infringement, or threatens with an infringement, against the person making a complaint
or initiating procedures because of a violation of the principle of equal treatment, or
against a person assisting in such a procedure, in relation to these acts.
11.3 Access to courts
11.3.1 Difficulties and barriers related to access to courts
Access to the courts is safeguarded by legislation, although the case law of the lower level
courts demonstrates considerable gaps in the legal practice in four areas: the wide
interpretation giv en to the very broadly worded exemption from the scope of the Equal
Treatment Act;448 being reluctant to apply dissuasive compensation; minimising the weight
of violations against women; and not correctly applying the rules on the burden of proof.
Awareness about the anti-discrimination legislation and available legal avenues and
remedies is low. This is demonstrated by the findings of the joint research undertaken by
446 Neményi M., Ságvári, B., Tardos, K. (2017), Az egyenl bánásmóddal kapcsolatos jogtudatosság: kutatási
eredmények (Rights awareness regarding equal treatment: research results), Budapest, Equal Treatment
Authority (Egyenl Bánásmód Hatóság), Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre for Social Sciences
Institute for Sociology (MTA Társadalomtudományi Kutatóközpont Szociológiai Intézet), p. 23, available at:
http://real.mtak.hu/73102/1/nemenyi_sagvari_tardos_ebh_2017_.pdf.
447 Act CXXV of 2003 on Equal Treatment and the Promotion of the Equality of Opportunities (2003. évi CXXV.
törvény az egyenl bánásmódról és az esélyegyenlség elmozdításáról), 28 December 2003, Article 10(3).
448 Act CXXV of 2003 on Equal Treatment and the Promotion of the Equality of Opportunities (2003. évi CXXV.
törvény az egyenl bánásmódról és az esélyegyenlség elmozdításáról), 28 December 2003.

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