A polarizing plate with an optical compensation layer capable of contributing to its
thinning, realizing
high contrast with viewing angle characteristics improved, preventing interference non-uniformity and thermal non-uniformity, being limited in
color shift, delivering a good color reproducing feature, and favorably preventing light leakage at black displaying; and a
liquid crystal panel, a
liquid crystal display unit and an
image display unit using such a polarizing plate with an optical compensation layer. The polarizing plate with an optical compensation layer comprises a
polarizer, a first optical compensation layer, an
adhesive layer, and a second optical compensation layer sequentially in the order mentioned, wherein the first optical compensation layer has a
refractive index distribution, nx>ny=nz, with its in-plane
phase difference Re1 exhibiting
wavelength dispersion characteristics that gradually decrease toward a short-
wavelength side and with its in-plane
phase difference Re1 being 90-160 nm, and the second optical compensation layer is a
coating layer, has a
refractive index distribution, nx=ny>nz, with its in-
phase difference Re2 being 0-20 nm, its phase difference Rth2 in thickness direction being 30-300 nm and its thickness being 0.5-10 [mu]m.