Commission welcomes landmark equality legislation
The Equality Bill has received Royal Assent. It contains a series of measures for tackling inequalities which the Commission considers will help Britain to become a fairer society.
Some of the specific measures in the bill, include:
· Making the law easier to understand and implement by simplifying 116 pieces of equality legislation into a single Act for individuals, public authorities and private organisations.
· Giving people the right not to be treated less favourably by public authorities because of their age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or transgender status; as well as their disability, gender, or race which were already covered.
· Extending anti-age discrimination rules to include goods, facilities and services, thereby stopping people being unfairly refused insurance or medical treatments based on what age they are, for example.
Trevor Phillips, chair of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission said:
“Simplifying legislation and extending protection to a wide range of groups that face discrimination will help Britain become a fairer society, improve public services, and help business perform well."
More information about the Equality Bill can be found on the EHRC website, click here.