Carin Hunt appears before the World Bank Administrative Tribunal

On 7^th April 2026, Carin Hunt, led by Alex Haines of 4 Pump Court, appeared before all seven judges of the World Bank Group (WBG) Administrative Tribunal (WBAT) on behalf of the Applicant client. 

The case, filed in 2022, was brought on the basis that the effect of an internal WBG Staff Rule is indirectly discriminatory on grounds of sex and adversely affects women international civil servants of a certain category grade. The principle of indirect sex discrimination, which is established in several jurisdictions, has not yet been developed in International Administrative Law which is the applicable law to International Organisations including the WBG.

Alex led Carin against the Respondent, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which was represented by the WBG’s Legal Vice Presidency. Judgment is expected later this Summer.

The World Bank Group

The WBG is an international organisation comprised of five institutions: (i) the IBRD; (ii) the International Development Association (IDA); (iii) the International Finance Corporation (IFC); (iv) the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID); and (v) the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).

The World Bank Administrative Tribunal

The WBAT was established by the Board of Governors of the Bank in 1980.  The WBAT is the independent judicial forum of last resort for the resolution of cases submitted by members of the staff of the WBG alleging non-observance of their contracts of employment or terms of appointment.  The current WBAT judges are nationals of the following WBG member states: US, Liberia, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Philippines, and France.  The WBAT’s decisions are final and binding.

Find out more

Carin Hunt advises and represents individuals and organisations in International Oganisations Law. She has a particular interest in representing employees of international organisations who wish to bring claims of harassment, sex and maternity discrimination, and direct and indirect gender discrimination against their employer. She also has an interest in defending employees against allegations of misconduct.

To find out more about Carin, contact Paul Barton on +44 (0)20 7427 4907 or Katie Hager on +44 (0)20 7353 6381 for a confidential discussion.

News 20 Apr, 2026