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Legal Terms – Equality Duty
Public bodies (such as local councils) are required by the *Equality Act 2010 to give certain issues careful consideration when performing their duties. These include: (1) putting an end to behavior that the Act forbids; (2) promoting equality of opportunity between individuals who possess a "protected characteristic" and those who do not; and (3) cultivating positive relationships between those who possess a protected characteristic and those who do not. The equality responsibility now applies to all of the Act's protected characteristics, with the exception of marriage and civil partnerships, which are exempt from the second and third items. Previously, it only applied to race, disability, and sex. Regulations may impose particular obligations on public organizations in addition to the general responsibility. People do not have the right to sue the public body for not fulfilling their obligation. The *Equality and Human Rights Commission is in charge of enforcement. However, an individual or group may enforce the responsibility through *judicial review (R (Williams) v Surrey County Council [2012] EWHC 867 (QB)). [From Latin: aequitas est quasi aequalitas, equity is as it were equality]
Public bodies (such as local councils) are required by the *Equality Act 2010 to give certain issues careful consideration when performing their duties. These include: (1) putting an end to behavior that the Act forbids; (2) promoting equality of opportunity between individuals who possess a "protected characteristic" and those who do not; and (3) cultivating positive relationships between those who possess a protected characteristic and those who do not. The equality responsibility now applies to all of the Act's protected characteristics, with the exception of marriage and civil partnerships, which are exempt from the second and third items. Previously, it only applied to race, disability, and sex. Regulations may impose particular obligations on public organizations in addition to the general responsibility. People do not have the right to sue the public body for not fulfilling their obligation. The *Equality and Human Rights Commission is in charge of enforcement. However, an individual or group may enforce the responsibility through *judicial review (R (Williams) v Surrey County Council [2012] EWHC 867 (QB)). [From Latin: aequitas est quasi aequalitas, equity is as it were equality]
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