The DTI have issued a consultation paper and draft regulations which will amend existing discrimination laws and prohibit discrimination on new grounds.
The Government is committed to making these changes as a result of the EU Equal Treatment Framework Directive and Race Discrimination Directive, which have to be implemented by 2003 in relation to discrimination on grounds of race, sexual orientation and religion and 2006 for age and disability discrimination. The amended Equal Treatment Directive (which will expressly cover sexual harassment for the first time) may also require some minor changes to sex discrimination law by 2005.
Following more general consultation from December 2001 to March 2002, the Government has now issued a more detailed consultation document "Equality and Diversity: The Way Ahead". It has also published five sets of draft Regulations and explanatory notes covering religion, sexual orientation, race, disability, and equal pay. The proposed changes to the Equal Pay Act are mainly prompted by decisions of the ECJ. The consultation period will end on 24th January 2003 and the Government intend to lay the regulations before Parliament in Spring 2003.
The changes to race discrimination law will come into effect in July 2003, the sexual orientation and religion proposals in December 2003, and the disability discrimination changes in October 2004.
The Government is intending to start consultation on age discrimination proposals in Spring 2003 and publish draft regulations in Spring 2004, with the changes coming into force in December 2006.
The Government is also consulting on whether to replace the existing discrimination commissions with a single equality commission covering all areas of discrimination law.
Further information and details of how to respond to the consultation can be found on the DTI website.
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