Book Review: Selected Issues in Equal Treatment Law: A Multi-Layered Comparison of European, English and Dutch Law
| Date | 01 December 2007 |
| Author | Maigorzata Marta Zysk |
| Published date | 01 December 2007 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1023263X0701400404 |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
14 MJ 4 (2007) 403
BOOK REVIEWS
Marianne Gijzen, Selected Issues in Equal Treatment Law: A Multi-Layered Comparison
of Europea n, English and Dutch Law, Intersentia 2 006, xv ii + 552 pages, paperback,
€89, ISBN 90-5095- 629-7
e present book i s a Ph.D. dissertation written under the supervision of prof. dr. L.
Waddington and prof. dr. A.W. Heringa and defended i n 2006 at Maastr icht University
before the distinguished jury of prof. dr. H. Schneider, prof. dr. J. Gerards, prof. dr. I.
Boerejn, prof. dr. C. McCrudden and dr. M. Bell.
e book concerns one of the fast est developing and most fascin ating elds i n the
legal framework of the European Union – anti-d iscrimination law. In her book, t he
author deals with selected issues on anti-discrimin ation law ranging from the concepts of
indirect d iscrimination (chapter 3), harassment (chapter 4) and positive action (chapter
5) to in-dept h a nalysis of the specic discri mination grounds of religion and belief
(chapter 6), sexual orientation (chapter 7), disabilit y (chapter 8) and age (chapter 9). All
the issues a re presented in a multi-layered context of European Union law, the national
legal frameworks of t wo EU Member States - the United Kingdom and the Netherlands,
selected due to the advanced natu re of their legal frameworks in this eld – a nd to some
extent international law, partic ularly the case law of the Strasbourg Cou rt.
e added value of this book is equally multi-levelled. First of all, it is remarkably rich.
Although at the outset the wealth of presented information may seem a bit overwhelming
to a person not f amiliar with the subject matter and t he selection of the resea rch topics
may seem somewh at accidental, the re ader easily gets i nto the swing of the text, which
presents numerous recent legal developments in the anti-discri mination law eld. is
quality renders M. Gijzen’s book noteworthy not only for academics working in the anti-
discrimi nation eld but also for law students who wish to understand the more confusing
concepts that populate the sphere of anti-discrimination law. M. Gijzen explains them in
a straightforward manner, providing an extraordi nary number of examples based on the
case law of the European Court of Justice as well as British and Dutch judicial authorities.
us, not only is the reader presented with rich theoretical backg round of equality a nd
non-discriminat ion law but also with living ex amples and real problems that arise at the
so-called g rass-root level.
Secondly, the reference to British and Dutch legislation and ca se law before and aer
the implementation of the acquis communitaire in the eld lls a gap in the discrimination-
related literature. e European legal f ramework, including in pa rticular Art icle 13 EC
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