di Pablo Meix Cereceda
El 13 de octubre de 2022, el Tribunal de Justicia de la Unión Europea dictó una sentencia relativa al pañuelo islámico que cubre el cabello de la mujer (hiyab). En particular, la sentencia analiza la imposición de una regla de neutralidad religiosa en la empresa donde aspiraba a ser contratada la recurrente. Se trata del caso de L.F. contra S.C.R.L. (C-344/20), que fue remitido en un procedimiento prejudicial por el Tribunal de lo Laboral Francófono de Bruselas.
Abstract
In October 2022, the ECJ ruled that companies may ban the use of religious symbols by employees if the prohibition concerns any kind of religious symbol. The ruling was based on the concept of direct discrimination, which seems inadequate. The paper examines previous case law (from 2017 to 2021) in order to explain how the ECJ has come to confuse direct and indirect discrimination. A conceptual distinction between both kinds of discrimination is subsequently proposed. In addition, the concept of religious neutrality is critically examined before concluding that it is a form of religious identity. Lastly, the discourse of institutional identities is critiqued.