A sex discrimination case won by a Hampshire female sailor against the Royal Navy will be challenged by the Ministry of Defence today.

Chief petty officer Jacqueline Cartner claimed she was passed over for promotion to warrant officer because she was a woman, despite being more suited to the job than other candidates.

The married mother of two won her case at the Southampton Employment Tribunal, which agreed that her employers had discriminated against her contrary to the Sexual Discrimination Act 1975.

The Navy's promotion board procedure was branded ''primitive'' and ''a matter of concern'' by the tribunal.

CPO Cartner, a former Wren who was awarded the MBE for her services, could lead the way for claims from other women in the armed forces if the decision in her favour is upheld.

Daily Echo: Video news headlines from the Southern Daily Echo

The original case, which concluded in February, concerned a decision made by the Royal Navy's annual promotion board in 2008, when CPO Cartner was the only female candidate considered for promotion against a number of male colleagues.

She said she was a better candidate because she had carried out the role of warrant officer in an acting capacity since February 2006, while none of her competitors had performed at that level.

She also claimed she was seen as less worthy of promotion on the grounds of her non-seagoing status.

Members of the Women's Royal Naval Service (Wrens) were not sent to sea but were told that this would not affect their career prospects when they were amalgamated into the Navy in 1993.

CPO Cartner, who serves at HMS Collingwood in Fareham, was selected as the Nato Military Member of the Year in 2000 and awarded an MBE in 2001.

Her solicitor, Kam Bains, said that she had received excellent appraisals throughout her career, having been promoted to each rank faster than her competitors and regularly outperforming male peers.

Speaking after she won her case, Mr Bains added: ''Jacqueline believed that all these achievements were overlooked by the 2008 promotion board because of her gender.

''She pursued an internal grievance about the matter but, when this was inadequately investigated and then rejected, felt she had no option but to pursue legal action.''

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said at the time that it intended to appeal against the decision, saying the service was ''very disappointed with the tribunal's findings''.

The hearing is at the Employment Appeal Tribunal, Audit House, London.