The Labour Court upheld the rejection of Andrew Conway’s age discrimination complaint against the Public Appointments Service, leaving the original decision in place. The determination was signed on 12 March 2019.
Conway, who was 64 when he applied for a Veterinary Inspector post, argued that his Official Veterinarian qualification should have improved his position on the recruitment panel. He said failing to credit it disadvantaged older candidates. He was placed 87th after interview and remained on the panel but had not been appointed by the hearing.
The Service said qualifications were used for shortlisting but did not affect interview scores, which were based on candidates’ performance. It also told the Court that the largest group of applicants with the qualification was aged 31 to 40.
The Court found that the qualification played no part in Conway’s interview placement and that he had not made out a case of age discrimination. His complaint could not succeed.