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Appeal to Pope, not WRC, man told as claim over marriage annulment rejected

Summary

In a 2023 case, a layman who had been declared a null marriage by a Catholic Church marriage tribunal under canon law filed a discrimination claim under the Equal Status Act 2000, alleging disability discrimination. He argued that the tribunal's annulment declaration had insulted him and portrayed him as financially and domestically dependent. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) ruled it had no jurisdiction over the tribunal's adjudicative work, noting that the tribunal's decision‑making function lay outside the definition of a "service" under the Act. The WRC found the man's claim was motivated by unhappiness with the annulment and that he had not pursued an appeal to the Pope, the only remaining avenue to challenge the annulment. Consequently, the WRC dismissed the discrimination claim, concluding the tribunal's actions did not constitute unlawful discrimination.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Appeal to Pope, not WRC, man told as claim over marriage annulment rejected. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• January 2021 Other
• February 2021 Other
• April 2021 Other
• 2023-02-14 Publication

Case subjects

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report