A Spanish judge has ruled that women can be charged more for driving lessons because "men were better drivers" in a judgement that has sparked controversy across Spain.

Judge Javier Albar ruled that a driving school was within its rights to charge female drivers a higher rate than men on a course of driving lessons.

He had been asked to determine if the Gasque driving school was discriminatory for offering men unlimited lessons until they passed their test, priced at 665 euros. Women were asked to pay 850 euros for the same deal during November 2011, according to The Daily Telegraph.

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A consumer rights group issued the school a fine and asked the company to remove the disparity between prices, following complaints made by residents in the area.

The Zaragoza driving school was initially fined 4,000 euros for sexual discrimination, but Judge Albar overturned the ruling when the school appealed and presented research to evidence their claims that men were better drivers.

Their research suggested that women required more lessons than men to pass their driving test.

In his ruling, Judge Albar cited information from Spain's Directorate of Traffic that he argued demonstrated “every single year, men displayed greater dexterity and better open road skills” in their driving tests than females.

Spain's Women's Institute has said they would petition to have the case taken to the Constitutional Court.