Does a job applicant gain protection under the equal treatment Directive if the purpose of making the application is not to get the job but only to get the status of someone who could take a claim and gain compensation? The answer is no, according to the CJEU - that would be an abuse of the rights granted under the Directive.

The claimant in this case applied for a trainee solicitor post. The firm were looking for law graduates. He was a lawyer and former manager with an insurance company. When his application was rejected he claimed €14k compensation for age discrimination and, on finding out that all the four trainee posts were offered to female candidates, claimed a