[wizzwizz4]

Eh, algorithmic / procedural bias is also a thing, and it can line up with the kinds of protected characteristics the rules are ostensibly there to prevent discrimination on the basis of. See, for example, redlining in the USA. I suspect the benefits of allowing discretion generally outweigh the risks it creates, provided that the aggregate feedback of that discretion is taken into account when redesigning the procedures, so that discretion doesn't become load-bearing as the real world moves on and the procedures stay in the same place.