On January 11, 2016, the Public Defender of Georgia submitted amicus curiae brief to Tbilisi City Court’s Civil Cases Chamber with regard to alleged discrimination on grounds of trade union membership.

In the lawsuit the applicants alleged that they were subjected to discrimination by JSC Georgian Railway on grounds of trade union membership, as they were dismissed from the company after they affiliated with the trade union.

In the amicus curiae brief the Public Defender reviewed the test of detection of alleged discrimination on grounds of trade union membership, application of the rule of burden of proof in the discrimination cases, as well as the case law of the European Court of Human Rights with regard to the discriminatory treatment due to foundation of or affiliation with trade union.

The amicus curiae brief is not aimed at supporting any party and it only indentifies the standard established by the European Court of Human Rights in similar cases.