The Equality Act 2010 is a major landmark in the long struggle for equal rights. This book tells the story of how and why it came to be enacted, what it means, what changes it can bring about in British society, and – no less important – what the Act will not do.
The Act is the outcome of over 13 years of research, public debate and campaigning, starting with the publication of Equality: A New Framework. Report of the Independent Review of the Enforcement of UK Anti-Discrimination Legislation by Bob Hepple, Mary Coussey and Tufyal Choudhury (Hart Publishing, 2000). The aim of this book is to examine the aims and structure of the new legal framework and to assess the Act against goals of reform set by the earlier review: harmonising and extending the law on status equality; widening the areas of unlawful conduct; changing organisational policy and behaviour including positive duties to advance equality; and improving enforcement of the law.
The book will be essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the Act and the wider context of equality law, including students of law and social sciences, human rights activists and lawyers, as well as the general reader.
