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Proportionality (210,-666)

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Keywords: Proportionality
Total judgments found: 80

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  • Judgment 2656


    103rd Session, 2007
    International Atomic Energy Agency
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 5

    Extract:

    The complainant submits that the disciplinary measure imposed on him lacks proportionality. "In this respect, it may be noted that lack of proportionality is to be treated as an error of law warranting the setting aside of a disciplinary measure even though a decision in that regard is discretionary in nature (see Judgments 203 and 1445). In determining whether disciplinary action is disproportionate to the offence, both objective and subjective features are to be taken into account and, in the case of dismissal, the closest scrutiny is necessary (see Judgment 937)."

    Reference(s)

    ILOAT Judgment(s): 203, 937, 1445

    Keywords:

    breach; decision quashed; disciplinary measure; discretion; exception; judicial review; misconduct; proportionality; termination of employment;

    Consideration 7

    Extract:

    The complainant was accused of having deliberately made false allegations of misconduct against other staff members. At the end of the disciplinary procedure he was dismissed for serious misconduct. "[A]lthough it is not correct to equate deliberate falsehood with reckless indifference to the truth in all circumstances, the nature of the allegations may be such that there is little, if any, room for difference in the consequent sanction. The more serious the allegation, the greater is the need for care. In the present case the allegations were indeed serious, and were of a kind which, in the absence of cogent evidence, should never have been made. That being so, there was no error in this case in equating the appropriate sanction for reckless indifference with that for deliberate falsehood. The complainant showed a callous disregard for the feelings of the persons concerned and a lack of judgement that was wholly incompatible with the standards of conduct required of an international civil servant. In the circumstances, these matters do not warrant a finding that the disciplinary action was disproportionate to the conduct in question."

    Keywords:

    breach; conduct; disciplinary measure; disciplinary procedure; freedom of speech; lack of evidence; liability; misconduct; official; proportionality; respect for dignity; serious misconduct; staff member's duties; termination of employment; working relations; written rule;



  • Judgment 2601


    102nd Session, 2007
    International Telecommunication Union
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Considerations 9-10

    Extract:

    "It is hard to deny the complainant's misconduct: acts of rudeness and violence are naturally unacceptable in the workplace, whether in an international organisation or any other institution. It is particularly unacceptable for a supervisor to come to blows with a staff member under his supervision, and to strike him in the face as he did in the present case. [...] [I]t has not been established that [the complainant] merely defended himself from attack. As once again the Joint Advisory Committee found, 'even if [the complainant] was truly in a situation of self-defence, his reaction should have been proportionate to the assault. He should have tried to leave the premises without engaging in a fight and, if obliged to defend himself, he should merely have tried to bring his opponent under control without striking him to the point of causing him injury.'
    [...] [T]he complainant could undoubtedly find mitigating circumstances in [his subordinate]'s attitude of insubordination, or even provocation, but that behaviour was in any case not such as to justify resorting to physical assault, which the defendant organisation could not tolerate on the part of a staff member entrusted with major responsibilities. The Tribunal in the circumstances is therefore unable to find that the sanction incurred by the complainant was clearly out of proportion (see Judgment 1725 for a similar situation)."

    Reference(s)

    ILOAT Judgment(s): 1725

    Keywords:

    conduct; disciplinary measure; insubordination; misconduct; mitigating circumstances; proportionality; serious misconduct; staff member's duties; supervisor;



  • Judgment 2555


    101st Session, 2006
    World Intellectual Property Organization
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 12

    Extract:

    The complainant was dismissed. He contends that such a punishment was disproportionate. "If it is true that the complainant altered the configuration of his computer in order to use it for purposes unrelated to his duties, and in particular to visit pornographic sites and download software and music, then the sanction cannot be regarded as disproportionate."

    Keywords:

    disciplinary measure; organisation's reputation; proportionality; serious misconduct; staff member's duties; termination of employment;



  • Judgment 2391


    98th Session, 2005
    International Telecommunication Union
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 8

    Extract:

    The complainant was issued a written censure. "Before the Appeal Board, [he] argued that [this] decision [...] was taken in breach of the principle of proportionality. In its report, the Board recommended that the parties seek a compromise solution in the light of that principle. [T]he Secretary-General did not follow the recommendation of the Appeal Board [...]. He was therefore under an obligation to state the reasons why he was disregarding that recommendation and instead maintaining the initial sanction, which is the second most serious, particularly so as to enable the Tribunal to check whether the principle of proportionality had been observed (see Judgment 2339, under 5). As the Secretary-General has not satisfied that obligation, his decision [...] must be set aside on the grounds that no reason has been given for the chosen sanction and the case must be referred back to him for a new decision."

    Reference(s)

    ILOAT Judgment(s): 2339

    Keywords:

    breach; consequence; disciplinary measure; duty to substantiate decision; executive head; general principle; internal appeals body; judicial review; organisation's duties; proportionality; recommendation; refusal; report; settlement out of court; warning;



  • Judgment 2365


    97th Session, 2004
    Universal Postal Union
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 4(a)

    Extract:

    "The suspension of the complainant was an interim, precautionary measure, which was to last as long as the disciplinary procedure. It was ordered without hearing the complainant's views on the matter beforehand, but the latter's right to be heard was safeguarded since he later had an opportunity to exercise it before the impugned decision was taken. In any case, a decision to suspend need not necessarily be followed by a substantive decision to impose a disciplinary sanction (see Judgment 1927, under 5). Nevertheless, since it imposes a constraint on the staff member, suspension must be legally founded, justified by the requirements of the organisation and in accordance with the principle of proportionality. A measure of suspension will not be ordered except in cases of serious misconduct. Such a decision lies at the discretion of the Director-General. It is subject therefore to only limited review by the Tribunal, that is to say, if it was taken without authority or in breach of a rule of form or of procedure, or was based on an error of fact or of law, or overlooked some essential fact, or was tainted with abuse of authority, or if a clearly mistaken conclusion was drawn from the evidence (see, for instance, Judgment 2262, under 2)."

    Reference(s)

    ILOAT Judgment(s): 1927, 2262

    Keywords:

    abuse of power; breach; condition; decision; decision-maker; disciplinary measure; disciplinary procedure; discretion; disregard of essential fact; executive head; formal flaw; formal requirements; judicial review; limits; measure of distraint; mistake of fact; mistaken conclusion; misuse of authority; official; organisation's duties; period; procedural flaw; proportionality; provisional measures; right to reply; suspensive action;



  • Judgment 2324


    97th Session, 2004
    Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 13

    Extract:

    "A decision to place a senior officer on leave with or without pay pending a review of his or her performance is one that inevitably affects that person's dignity and good name and, moreover, it is one that will almost certainly carry adverse consequences for his or her career. Where, as here, the decision is unlawful, the person concerned is entitled to compensation. However, the measure of compensation may vary according to whether, on the one hand, the decision might otherwise properly have been taken in the circumstances or, on the other, whether it appears to have been taken for an improper purpose." [See consideration 18 for the Tribunal's appreciation of the purpose.]

    Keywords:

    abuse of power; amount; career; compensation; grounds; misuse of authority; moral injury; proportionality; respect for dignity; special leave; unpaid leave; work appraisal;



  • Judgment 2231


    95th Session, 2003
    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Considerations 6-7

    Extract:

    As far as concerns the proportionality of the penalty imposed, the case law of the Tribunal cited in the impugned decision supports even the penalty of dismissal for the offence of theft. Likewise, in Judgment 1828, the complainant was dismissed for having submitted a fraudulent travel expenses claim. The Tribunal dismissed the complaint and held that: "Even though the amount at stake was not large, an intent to defraud the Organization is a most serious offence. The Organization may expect the highest standards of integrity from its staff; it could not possibly just overlook the fraud; and there was nothing disproportionate about dismissing [the complainant] for the misconduct she had committed."
    The demotion imposed on the complainant, with its accompanying transfer and the loss of commissary privileges, was not disproportionate. Her allegation that she is currently not given any work to do is devoid of any supporting detail.

    Reference(s)

    ILOAT Judgment(s): 1828

    Keywords:

    disciplinary measure; proportionality;



  • Judgment 1984


    89th Session, 2000
    European Patent Organisation
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 7

    Extract:

    The Tribunal recalls that, according to a long line of precedent, shared by other international administrative tribunals, the decision-making authority has discretion in determining the severity of a sanction to be applied to a staff member whose misconduct has been established. But that discretion must be exercised in observance of the rule of law, particularly the principle of proportionality. If a sanction is obviously disproportionate to the charges, the Tribunal will set it aside (see for example Judgment 1447 [...], delivered on 6 July 1995). In the present case, the complainant's dismissal is not obviously disproportionate to the attempted fraud with which he is charged and which is a serious breach of the duty of honesty incumbent on international civil servants. Consequently, the complainant's plea of disproportionality between the charges and the sanction fails.

    Reference(s)

    ILOAT Judgment(s): 1447

    Keywords:

    disciplinary measure; discretion; proportionality; termination of employment;



  • Judgment 1977


    89th Session, 2000
    International Atomic Energy Agency
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 10

    Extract:

    "The complainant's contention that the penalty of dismissal was disproportionate to the offence is wholly without merit. He defrauded his employer of substantial sums of money in circumstances that left no room for doubt that he both knew what he was doing and knew that it was wrong. When his actions came under suspicion, he falsified documents in an attempt to justify himself. His actions fell far below the standards expected of any employee let alone the high standards required of an international civil servant. the penalty of dismissal was amply warranted."

    Keywords:

    conduct; disciplinary measure; fitness for international civil service; misconduct; misrepresentation; proportionality; serious misconduct; termination of employment;



  • Judgment 1878


    87th Session, 1999
    United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 30

    Extract:

    The complainant called her supervisor a fascist while giving the nazi salute. She was dismissed summarily. "In the Tribunal's view, while the complainant's conduct was not such as to be expected from an international civil servant, nevertheless it was not so serious as to warrant summary dismissal. Her words were intemperate, spoken in the heat of the moment to a superior. That is unacceptable. There was an insulting gesture used twice which was particularly hurtful to [her supervisor], a German. Again, that is unacceptable. But on the other hand an apology was offered the same evening and again the next morning and a written acceptance was generously given by [the supervisor]. In the opinion of the Tribunal qualifying the incident as serious misconduct justifying summary dismissal would be a clearly mistaken conclusion to draw from the facts. Therefore, the disciplinary measure imposed was so disproportionate as to amount to a mistake of law."

    Keywords:

    conduct; disciplinary measure; fitness for international civil service; mistaken conclusion; proportionality; serious misconduct; staff member's duties; summary dismissal; supervisor; termination of employment; working relations;

    Judgment keywords

    Keywords:

    complaint allowed; decision quashed; disciplinary measure; proportionality; reinstatement; summary dismissal;

    Consideration 15

    Extract:

    The complainant [...] submits that lack of proportionality is an error of law: see Judgments 203 [...], 1070 [...] and 1271 [...]. According to the Tribunal's jurisprudence, a sanction out of porportion to the subjective and objective nature of the offence is a mistake of law and since the decision is flawed it must be quashed. The complainant refers to cases where the material or moral interests of an international organisation were jeopardised and the Tribunal confirmed decisions of summary dismissal for serious misconduct: see Judgments 63 [...], 159 [...] and 969 [...]. Insulting a colleague in the privacy of his office and then offering apologies that evening and the next morning, which were accepted in writing, does not constitute serious misconduct. Her actions did not jeopardise the material or moral interests of the Organization.

    Reference(s)

    ILOAT Judgment(s): 63, 159, 203, 969, 1070, 1271

    Keywords:

    disciplinary measure; mistake of law; proportionality; serious misconduct;



  • Judgment 1831


    86th Session, 1999
    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 13

    Extract:

    The complainant was summarily dismissed from the organization for serious misconduct. "The complainant argues that the severity of the sanction imposed was disproportionate to the alleged misconduct. Given the evidence of deep-rooted fraud and corruption in the office for which he was responsible, the misconduct was serious and the sanction fully justified."

    Keywords:

    conduct; disciplinary measure; fitness for international civil service; misconduct; proportionality; serious misconduct; staff member's duties; summary dismissal; termination of employment;



  • Judgment 1828


    86th Session, 1999
    World Health Organization
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 12

    Extract:

    "Even though the amount at stake was not large, an intent to defraud the organization is a most serious offence. The organization may expect the highest standards of integrity from its staff; it could not possibly just overlook the fraud; and there was nothing disproportionate about dismissing [the complainant] for the misconduct she had committed."

    Keywords:

    conduct; disciplinary measure; fitness for international civil service; misconduct; proportionality; serious misconduct; staff member's duties; summary dismissal; termination of employment;



  • Judgment 1791


    86th Session, 1999
    European Organization for Nuclear Research
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Considerations 13-14

    Extract:

    "The complainants plead breach of their acquired rights [...]. [T]hey argue that those terms are inviolate, particularly the clauses on pay. [...] The financial crisis [facing the Organization] at the material time did amount to exceptional circumstances that warranted the slight reduction in pay that [the Organization] applied, for only one year anyway and in consideration for extra time off."

    Keywords:

    acquired right; amendment to the rules; budgetary reasons; compensatory leave; contract; exception; proportionality; provisional decision; reduction of salary; salary; terms of appointment;



  • Judgment 1617


    82nd Session, 1997
    World Health Organization
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 3

    Extract:

    "On the strength of the unfavourable appraisal non-renewal of her appointment may have seemed too harsh for someone who until then had had good reports which offered hope of improvement. So the [Organization] concluded that the right expedient was to give a shorter extension so that she might show her mettle. In coming to those conclusions on the evidence before him the Director-General did not go beyond the bounds of his discretion".

    Keywords:

    contract; different appraisals; discretion; duration of appointment; executive head; extension of contract; non-renewal of contract; proportionality; staff member's interest; unsatisfactory service; work appraisal;



  • Judgment 1608


    82nd Session, 1997
    European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 5

    Extract:

    "The complainant had two obligations. First, he had to observe the hierarchical channels of communication if he wanted to refer a matter to the Organisation's decision-making bodies. Secondly, Article 17 of the Regulations required him to exercise discretion in the use of information that came to his knowledge in the course of duty. Since he acted in breach of both of those obligations the reprimand was fully justified."

    Reference(s)

    Organization rules reference: ARTICLE 17 OF EUROCONTROL STAFF REGULATIONS

    Keywords:

    censure; disciplinary measure; duty of discretion; proportionality; staff member's duties; staff regulations and rules; supervisor;



  • Judgment 1599


    82nd Session, 1997
    World Health Organization
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 4

    Extract:

    "Striking someone in the face at work is an act that WHO was justified in treating as misconduct, which Staff Rule 110.8.1 defines as 'any improper action by a staff member in his official capacity'. The Organization rightly took the view that such violence at the workplace was not to be tolerated. [...] The sanction of a written reprimand was not disproportionate to the misconduct that consisted in striking another staff member."

    Reference(s)

    Organization rules reference: WHO STAFF RULE 110.8.1

    Keywords:

    censure; conduct; disciplinary measure; misconduct; proportionality; staff member's duties; working relations;



  • Judgment 1584


    82nd Session, 1997
    World Meteorological Organization
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Considerations 9 and 11

    Extract:

    The complainant failed time and again to meet his financial obligations - in particular the payment of alimony to his family - disobeyed the judicial and administrative authorities of the host country and received several prison sentences. The permanent mission of the host country and his creditors approached the Organization many times. "In behaving as he did he obviously showed scant regard for his duties as an international civil servant and betrayed the Organization's trust. It was only reasonable that the WMO should consider that his conduct precluded keeping him on." There was no breach of the rule of proportionality.

    Keywords:

    conduct; disciplinary measure; fitness for international civil service; misconduct; organisation's interest; organisation's reputation; outside activity; proportionality; staff member's duties; termination of employment;



  • Judgment 1447


    79th Session, 1995
    European Patent Organisation
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 16

    Extract:

    "As for the charge of misconduct warranting dismissal under Article 93(2)(f), the Tribunal accepts the Disciplinary Committee's ruling that the complainant had no intention of causing damage in the incident [...]. It is therefore satisfied that the sanction of dismissal was grossly disproportionate to his misbehaviour on that day."

    Reference(s)

    Organization rules reference: ARTICLE 93(2)(F) EPO SERVICE REGULATIONS

    Keywords:

    conduct; disciplinary measure; misconduct; proportionality; staff regulations and rules; termination of employment;



  • Judgment 1445


    79th Session, 1995
    Universal Postal Union
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 11

    Extract:

    The choice of a particular sort of disciplinary action is "obviously at the Director-General's discretion and the Tribunal will not interfere unless his decision shows some fatal flaw such as [...] breach of the rule of proportionality."

    Keywords:

    disciplinary measure; discretion; executive head; judicial review; limits; proportionality;



  • Judgment 1363


    77th Session, 1994
    European Patent Organisation
    Extracts: EN, FR
    Full Judgment Text: EN, FR

    Consideration 40

    Extract:

    The complainant was charged with serious misconduct and dismissed. He alleges that the EPO imposed a penalty that was too severe and disproportionate in order to get back at him for his staff union work. "There is not a shred of evidence to support the charge of 'union-bashing' he levels against the EPO. What prompted the disciplinary proceedings was his pursuit of private business for his own enrichment and in abuse of his position as an official."

    Keywords:

    bias; breach; disciplinary measure; disciplinary procedure; outside activity; proportionality; staff member's duties; staff union activity;

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