Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT Held or Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT Pronouncements
Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT considered the Secretary-General¡¯s appeal. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT rejected the Secretary-General¡¯s submission that Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT erred in ¡°double-counting¡± by using the same element of Mr Andersson¡¯s high chance of promotion to justify both its award of CHF 10,000 in lieu of rescission, as well as its award of CHF 4,000 for moral damages. The claim for moral damages was related to the reparation of an injury, that could not be regarded as covered by the payment of CHF 10,000 awarded as an alternative to rescission. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT also rejected the Secretary-General¡¯s submission that Mr Andersson only fleetingly referred to moral damage and did not provide other evidence of it. The recording of the phone evidence given by Mr Andersson, (which was unclear in some parts), confirmed that he discussed moral damages, and the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT judgment alluded to it when referring to ¡®the circumstances of this case. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT further held that Mr Andersson was the victim of a fundamental procedural violation which, in and of itself, may give rise to an award of moral damages, following Asariotis, judgment No. 2013-Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT-309. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT found no reason to differ from Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT¡¯s determination regarding the level of compensation awarded. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT dismissed the appeal and affirmed Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT¡¯s judgment.
Decision Contested or Judgment/Order Appealed
Mr Andersson contested the High Commissioner¡¯s decision to not promote him to the P-3 level at the 2009 annual promotions session. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT ordered rescission of the decision not to promote Mr Andersson on the basis that Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµHCR had failed to adhere to the specified precise criteria and, in the alternative, ordered payment of CHF 10,000 to Mr Andresson ¡°for the remuneration lost as a consequence of the non-promotion in 2009¡±. In addition, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT awarded Mr Andersson CHF 4,000 for moral damages. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµHCR subsequently rescinded the contested decision, promoted Mr Andersson with retroactive effect, with backdated salary and emoluments amounting to USD 11,585. 67.
Legal Principle(s)
The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT is best placed to conclude from the evidence, records, or otherwise, whether or not a claim for moral damages was established