近日，美國俄克拉荷馬州高級法院一名83歲的審判員狀告他的同事對他進行“年齡歧視”。這位名叫馬里亞·歐帕拉的審判員表示，他的同事因他年紀過高而拒絕同意他成爲法院的審判長。
A supreme court judge in Oklahoma is suing colleagues on the bench for passing him over for the state"s top judicial job because he is too old.
近日，美國俄克拉荷馬州高級法院一名83歲的審判員狀告他的同事對他進行“年齡歧視”。這位名叫馬里亞·歐帕拉的審判員表示，他的同事因他年紀過高而拒絕同意他成爲法院的審判長。
據英國《衛報》1月6日報道，歐帕拉在訴訟中提到，他現在的身體和精神狀況都非常良好，但卻在晉升審判長這一更高薪水的'職務中受到不公平待遇。
報道說，美國各州最高法院的審判長每兩年需更換一次，候選人也必須要有作爲審判員6年以上的工作經驗。歐帕拉符合這些基本條件，但他認爲，他的同事們更改了有關規定，以至於現任審判長約瑟夫·瓦特還可以繼續任職兩年。歐帕拉稱，瓦特與其他審判員共同密謀以阻止他晉升到審判長的職位。
爲此，歐帕拉的同事們認爲，他們只是推選出最適合的人選來作爲審判長，因爲審判長必須要有敏銳的判斷力、穩重的性情和符合其他各方面的能力與素質的綜合要求，而歐帕拉此次將同事們告上法庭的行爲令人難以理解。
A supreme court judge in Oklahoma is suing colleagues on the bench for passing him over for the state"s top judicial job because he is too old.
Marian Opala, 83, will take fellow judges to court for age discrimination after a rule change denied him his turn to be the state"s supreme court chief justice.
In his lawsuit Mr Opala insists he "enjoys good health and sound mental acuity" and was unfairly denied the "ceremonial duties" and higher salary that come with the top post.
The post of chief justice has rotated, every two years, among justices who have served at least six years. Under those rules Mr Opala should be next in line. But his colleagues changed the rules so that the current chief justice, Joseph Watt, could extend his term by two years.
Mr Opala was livid, alleging a plot between Mr Watt and the court"s "young Turks" (the youngest is 52) to deny him his rightful place on the bench.
"As a matter of history," says Mr Opala in his lawsuit, "state judges would not resort to federal court to settle their differences. In the last 20 years though a body of law has developed called employment law. It provides norms for hiring, firing, promotion and demotion."
But others regard the fact that he has taken the issue to court as grounds enough to bar him from the job.
