In what circumstances, if any, can Last In First Out (LIFO) be justified as a redundancy selection criterion?

Last in first out (“LIFO”) used to be seen as a common and popular method of redundancy selection. However, in recent years following the introduction of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006, it has fallen from favour as a dominant criterion. LIFO in certain circumstances could be construed as likely to be indirectly discriminatory against younger employees (who tend to have shorter length of service).

In addition, LIFO may also amount to indirect sex discrimination (as women typically have more breaks in their careers and thus shorter service). Peculiar to Northern Ireland is also the inherent risk in applying LIFO in workplaces that have historically had