As many of you will be aware, the Government is committed to introducing a Single Equality Bill during this Parliament. There is currently a consultation period which will end on 4 September 2007.
The noble intention of the government to simplify the plethora of discrimination legislation can only be of benefit to both lawyers and clients alike – but why provide such a short period of consultation and have it coincide with the time when most interested parties (including overworked lawyers) are looking forward to a well-earned break?
No doubt the Chief Executive of The Disability Rights Commission, and the Chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission, who have both expressed dissatisfaction with the Green Paper, will be spending their holidays visiting the official website to complete the Response Form, which you can find at www.communities.gov.uk. Certainly my colleagues and I on the Liverpool Law Society Employment Sub-committee, will be taking our copies of the Consultation documentation and Response form on holiday and spending some time in the sun deliberating over our responses to such issues as:
“.We would welcome views on the proposed new approach to supporting effective performance of a single public sector equality duty by requiring proportionate action towards the achievement of priority equality objectives, and on the four key principles we have identified. Do you prefer this approach, or an extension of the type of specific duties adopted so far in the race, disability and gender equality duties? Please give your reasons.�
“Are we doing this for fun?� you may ask. No - we will be meeting on the 23rd August to put the Liverpool Law Society’s views forward on your behalf.
If therefore you have some spare time over the weekend – why not spend it by looking at the Consultation document and let us have your views. While the rain is battering against the windows you can be cosy indoors with a good read. Work your way through the 35 pages of questions – hours of fun!
NB - The consultation seeks your views on “various specific proposals on achieving a clearer and more streamlined discrimination legislative framework which produces better outcomes for those who currently experience disadvantage.� Clearer legislation? – surely that is positively discriminating in favour of the disadvantaged – isn’t that against the law?