The Kharkiv Appellate Court has ruled against a bank that denied a client a loan because he was disabled
The Kharkiv Appellate Court has ruled against a bank that denied a client a loan because he was disabled. Legal support was provided by the Foundation for Strategic Litigation to Combat Discrimination, which is run by the Coalition for Combating Discrimination in Ukraine with support of the International Renaissance Foundation’s Rule of Law Program and the European Commission.
The man went to the bank to request a loan to buy a TV. As the potential client was disabled, the bank employee required a co-signor.
The court ruled that the loan was denied solely on the basis of the man’s disability. The bank didn’t check his income or assets, or assess the risk of the loan. Citizens without a disability can get a loan without a co-signor.
“The most important aspect isn’t the size of the compensation for moral damages, but the fact that the court recognized this situation as discriminatory,” said Oleh Lepetyuk, the head of the Kharkiv Association of Blind Lawyers. “In its judgment the court applied the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Finally this document is beginning to work.”
Contacts:
Human Rights Information Center
Tetyana Pechonchyk
tetyana.pechonchyk@gmail.com
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The aim of the Rule of Law Program is to support the civil society initiatives directed to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, to promote strengthened legal consciousness and public activity at the central and local levels.
