The practice of reinstatement of certain former women civil servants has been governed by specific statutory provisions in the Civil Service Regulation Act, 1956 and Civil Service (Employment of Married Women) Act, 1973. These exceptional provisions permitted a woman who resigned from the service for the purpose of, on or following marriage to be reinstated to her former position if she were subsequently widowed, if she did not marry or if she established to the satisfaction of the Minister for Finance that she was not being supported by her husband. The provisions were challenged under the terms of the Employment Equality Act, 1977 by the Employment Equality Agency and were found by the Labour Court to be discriminatory and contrary to the principle of equal treatment. The Labour Court recommended that the relevant statutory provisions be repealed at the earliest opportunity.