Legislation & Good practise

Commission on Integration & Cohesion - final report published in June 2007 - please see on the right

Some key race legislation:

Race Relations Act 1976, 2000, 2003

It is unlawful to discriminate against anyone on grounds of race, colour, nationality and ethnic or national origin.

The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 responding to the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report, brought in a statutory general duty for all public bodies (with a few exceptions) to promote race equality.

The Race Relations Act (Amendment) Regulations 2003 implemented the EC Race Directive - which guarantees a minimum standard of legal protection across the European Union for individuals against discrimination or harassment on the grounds of racial or ethnic origins.

Race Discrimination covers four areas:

Direct discrimination - treating someone less favourably on racial grounds
Indirect discrimination - applying practices that might favour one racial group over another
Harassment - unwanted conduct that violates a person's dignity and creates a hostile or degrading environment
Victimisation - unfair treatment of an employee who has made a complaint about racial discrimination.

Protection from Harassment Act 1997 prohibits the course of any conduct, which amounts to harassment of a person.

Crime and Disorder Act 1998, as amended, creates a statutory definition of racial and religious aggravation, which are given higher penalties. It also promotes partnership working by placing a statutory duty on police and local authorities along with their partners, to implement strategies to reduce crime and disorder in their area.

The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003

It is unlawful to subject someone to discrimination and victimisation in the employment and education fields on the grounds of religion or belief.

Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 prohibits harassment of two or more people who are being persuaded not to do something they are entitled to do; protests outside someone's home where a person is causing harassment, alarm or distress.

Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 prohibits offence of inciting hatred against a person on religious grounds.

Equality Act 2006 established a single Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR), replacing the three existing equality bodies - the Commission for Racial Equality (to merge in 2009), the Disability Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission - with one that prevents discrimination on the grounds of age, religion and beliefs, and sexual orientation throughout British society. The CEHR will come into being in October 2007.

A stakeholder Task Force helped develop the detailed proposals for the Commission set out in a white paper (May 2004); a transition Steering Group (in conjunction with a Specialist Transition Team) then has advised Government on options for strategic direction, organisational design and key policy issues. The new CEHR Board was appointed from autumn '06.

Focus on Race Equality Impact Assessments

The race equality implications of each policy should be a part of its policy development process in the same way as cost, benefits and risks are weighed against their possible effects.

A race equality impact assessment is a way of systematically and thoroughly assessing, and consulting on, the effects that a proposed policy is likely to have on people, depending on their racial group.

The assessment extends to monitoring the actual effects of the policy, once it is put into practice, possibly as a test run, and being alert to any concerns about the way it is (or is not) working.

Legislation & Good practise

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