Dwarf tossing violates human rights

September 27, 2002

A French dwarf challenged a French law banning "dwarf tossing" claiming that it took away his right to be tossed in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The UN Council on Human Rights upheld the ban. Gillot v. France

The complainant, a dwarf who had been employed in discotheques as the object of "dwarf tossing", was unable to continue this activity owing to a ban of the practice imposed by the relevant local authorities, because the practice was deemed to be contrary to human dignity. The ban was upheld on appeal through to the highest French courts...

The Committee, having reduced the complaint in substantive terms to a claim under article 26 [right to be free from discrimination], concluded that the ban in question did not amount to prohibited discrimination. It was satisfied that the ban on dwarf tossing was "not abusive but was necessary in order to protect public order including, inter alia, considerations of human dignity which are compatible with the aims of the Covenant." It therefore found that the distinction between the complainant and persons to whom the ban imposed by the State party does not apply (that is, persons not capable of being thrown) was based on objective and reasonable grounds and consistent with the Covenant.