A fresh look at judicial remedies in EU equality law and beyond: The untapped possibility of structural injunctions

Abstract

This article proposes a shift in thinking about judicial remedies (or “sanctions”), from anti-discrimination law to equal pay and beyond.We suggest the currently preferred remedies – one-off declarations, compensation, fines, and simple orders to obey the law – may be insufficient when confronting a recalcitrant institution, complex violations, and broad, ongoing harm. In such cases, we suggest considering a remedy long overlooked in Europe: a “structural injunction”, i.e. ordering changes to an offending organization’s structure, processes, or rules. We argue that under certain circumstances, an injunction, including a structural injunction, may be appropriate or required under EU law to remedy persistent (including “systemic” or “structural”) organizational discrimination. After considering the injunctive demands of Union law, and the appropriateness of structural injunctions, we examine their compatibility with national constitutional traditions. Finally, we analyse different forms of structural injunctions to show how courts may issue them – in what we call their “modern” form – while minding the judiciary’s constitutional role and institutional competence. This article seeks to inform current theory and practice from legislative drafting to enforcement of European equality law, as well as other areas where complex or systemic organizational violations persist. Comparative analysis informs our argument. judicial remedies, EU equality law, structural injunctions