A report was published of an independent review of the operation of the equality duty contained in section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (which imposes a duty on public bodies to promote equality between different groups).
Source: Eithne McLaughlin and Neil Faris, The Section 75 Equality Duty: An Operational Review, Northern Ireland Office (028 9052 0700)
Links: Volume 1 (pdf) | Volume 2 (pdf) | NIO press release
Date: 2004-Dec
An audit report assessed the performance of government bodies under each of six key diversity strands: disability, gender, race, religion and belief, age, and sexual orientation. It identified successful initiatives and highlighted the lessons that could be learned from them. Government bodies seemed less confident of their performance in meeting needs connected with race than with other diversity strands.
Source: Delivering Public Services to a Diverse Society, HC 19 (Session 2004-05), National Audit Office (020 7798 7000)
Links: Report (pdf) | NAO press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Dec
A report was published of a Citizens Forum, involving people from the Manchester area, to discuss fairness in Britain (organized on behalf of three equality commissions, and the government s Women and Equality Unit). Discrimination was a common experience - over 80 per cent of participants had experienced discrimination of some sort. There was a widespread commitment to a fairer, more tolerant society. Not everyone was happy with the efforts made to promote equality and fairness some felt that this had disadvantaged some groups such as the white working class. The gap between rich and poor was seen as fundamental to the equality agenda. The media and schools were seen as particular priorities for tackling discrimination.
Source: Laura Edwards and Becky Hatch, Citizens' Forum to Discuss Fairness in Britain, Equal Opportunities Commission (0161 833 9244), Commission for Racial Equality, Disability Rights Commission, and Women and Equality Unit
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2004-Dec
An annual report described activity undertaken to improve diversity among members of boards of public bodies. Overall progress had been made in the representation of people from minority ethnic backgrounds and disabled people: but the overall figures for women had dropped slightly.
Source: Delivering Diversity in Public Appointments 2004, Public Appointments Unit/Cabinet Office (0845 000 0040)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Dec
The government responded to consultation on a proposed Commission for Equality and Human Rights. Key changes included: the Commission would publish a 'state of the nation' report on a regular basis to track progress towards equality and human rights goals; there would be no statutory criteria for which equality cases it might support - the Commission would have the freedom to set its own priorities in this respect; there would be an explicit role to combat prejudice, and work to reduce crime affecting particular communities, such as hate crime; the Commission would be able to bring proceedings in its own name without reference to the Secretary of State, against persons committing acts of unlawful advertising, instructions and pressure to discriminate. The Commission for Racial Equality dropped its opposition to the new Commission, following assurances that it would keep its independence for a further 4-5 years.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 18 November 2004, columns 105-110WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | DTI press release | EOC press release | Citizens Advice press release | MCB press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Nov
Researchers found that 2 in 3 people admitted prejudice against one or more minority groups. Prejudice was felt most strongly against asylum-seekers and Travellers. Older people and disabled people were subject to the least prejudice.
Source: Gill Valentine and Ian McDonald, Understanding Prejudice: Attitudes towards minorities, Stonewall (020 7881 9440)
Links: Report (pdf) | Stonewall press release
Date: 2004-Nov
The government began consultation on proposals aimed at increasing diversity among judges. Measures included formal career breaks, more flexible sitting arrangements, and a recruitment drive to urge women, minority ethnic, and disabled lawyers to apply to become judges.
Source: Increasing Diversity in the Judiciary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | DCA press release | Bar Council press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Oct
A report said that there was a growing need to take stock of the way law had influenced the progress of equal opportunities. It was possible that current discrimination law was becoming an obstacle to employers who would otherwise embrace the need for progress in the area of diversity.
Source: Patricia Leighton, Discrimination and the Law: Does the system suit the purpose?, Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (0870 800 3366)
Links: CIPD press release
Date: 2004-Sep
An article evaluated the nature and incidence of equal opportunities policies, using data from the 1998 Workplace Employee Relations Survey. The article identified the types of workplaces that were more likely to adopt formal gender, ethnicity, disability and age policies.
Source: Kim Hoque and Mike Noon, 'Equal opportunities policy and practice in Britain', Work, Employment and Society, Volume 18 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2004-Sep
The Northern Ireland Office submitted to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland its progress report on implementation of the equality and good relations duties under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, for 2003-04.
Source: Section 75 Northern Ireland Act 1998: Progress Report - 1 April 2003 31 March 2004, Northern Ireland Office (028 9052 3533)
Links: Report (pdf) | NIO press release
Date: 2004-Sep
The disability rights watchdog said that a failure to have harmonized equality laws in place prior to the creation of a new Commission for Equalities and Human Rights would 'cause rancour and division' within the new body from its inception.
Source: Fairness for All: A new Commission for Equality and Human Rights - Response, Disability Rights Commission (08457 622633)
Links: Report (Word file) | Summary | DRC press release
Date: 2004-Aug
A report by a joint committee of MPs and peers said that, although the committee agreed with the government on most of the fundamental principles of the design of the new Equalities and Human Rights Commission, there were a number of issues requiring clarification, including: the precise nature of the general duty to be placed upon the Commission in relation to the promotion and protection of human rights; the details of the power of the Commission to conduct 'general inquiries' into matters connected with human rights; the case for introducing a public sector duty in relation to human rights; and the details of the scope of and restrictions on the power of the Commission to support individual cases in the courts in which discrimination and human rights issues are raised.
Source: Commission for Equality and Human Rights: The Government's White Paper, Sixteenth Report (Session 2003-04), HL 156 and HC 998, Joint Committee on Human Rights (House of Lords and House of Commons), TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Community Care report
Date: 2004-Aug
A human rights group said that it supported the creation of a single Equalities and Human Rights Commission. It said that human rights and equalities were distinct but complementary traditions that could benefit from operating together.
Source: Response to the DTI White Paper on a Single Equalities and Human Rights Commission 'Fairness for All', Liberty (020 7403 3888)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Aug
The government published its official response to a report by a committee of MPs and peers on the proposal to establish a Commission for Equality and Human Rights. It said that it agreed with nearly all the committee's recommendations.
Source: Government Response to Joint Committee on Human Rights Eleventh Report of Session 2003-2004: 'Commission for Equality and Human Rights: Structure, Functions and Powers', Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Links: Response (pdf) | Joint report (pdf) | DCA press release
Date: 2004-Jul
The Commission for Racial Equality announced that its commissioners had decided to 'unequivocally reject' proposals for a Commission for Equality and Human Rights, as laid out in a government White Paper. It said the proposals had little support from black and minority ethnic communities, and that there were fears that the CRE's work on integration would be 'lost'. (The CRE had previously indicated support for the proposal.)
Source: Press release 22 July 2004, Commission for Racial Equality (020 7939 0000)
Links: CRE press release | Stonewall press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jul
A paper provided evidence on the scope of equal opportunities policies and practices in workplaces, prior to the introduction of amendments to equality legislation. It sought to shed further light on linkages between such policies/practices and patterns of job satisfaction and workplace well-being. The evidence 'clearly suggested' scope for the extension of equal opportunities in workplaces.
Source: Tracy Anderson, Neil Millward and John Forth, Equal Opportunities Policies and Practices at the Workplace: Secondary analysis of the Workplace Employment Relations Survey, Employment Relations Research Series 30, Department of Trade and Industry (020 7215 5177)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jun
A report by a joint committee of MPs and peers considered the detailed functions, powers and structure of the proposed Commission for Equality and Human Rights, so far as they related to human rights; and made recommendations for the government to take into account in formulating the White Paper prefiguring the legislation.
Source: Commission for Equality and Human Rights: Structure, functions and powers, Eleventh Report (Session 2003-04), HL 78 and HC 536, Joint Committee on Human Rights (House of Lords and House of Commons), TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2004-May
A White Paper set out in detail the government's proposals for a Commission for Equality and Human Rights, including its role, duties and powers. It also proposed a new law obliging public bodies to promote equality and eliminate discrimination between women and men.
Source: Fairness For All: A new Commission for Equality and Human Rights, Cm 6185, Department of Trade and Industry (and other departments), TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 12 May 2004, columns 20-23WS, TSO
Links: White Paper (pdf) | Hansard | DRC press release | EOC press release | Fawcett Society press release (pdf) | Stonewall press release | PCS press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-May
Two research reports investigated diversity issues concerning managers in local government, and raised important issues concerning performance feedback, competency appraisal and discrimination.
Source: Leadership Research and Development Ltd, Perceptions, Improvement and Development Agency (020 7296 6693) | Leadership Research and Development Ltd, Prospects, Improvement and Development Agency
Links: Summary (pdf) | IDeA press release
Date: 2004-Mar
A report described progress by Northern Ireland public authorities in implementing their statutory duties in relation to equal opportunities.
Source: Report on the Implementation of the Section 75 Statutory Duties, Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (028 9050 0600)
Links: Report (pdf) | ECNI press release
Date: 2004-Mar
The Court of Appeal ruled that people who had been the victim of unfair discrimination could claim compensation for the losses they suffered as a result of the discrimination, without having to satisfy an additional test that the losses were reasonably foreseeable.
Source: Laing Limited v. Yassin Essa, Court of Appeal 21 January 2004
Links: Text of judgment | EOC press release
Date: 2004-Jan