Is Multiple Choice The Answer?

The Equality Bill could be on the statute books by October 2010 (subject to the usual hurdles of approval by both the Houses, Royal Assent and the slightly unknown quantity of a General Election). One of its self-described aims is to strengthen the law to support progress on equality, but what practical measures will it introduce to do this? One big step is the potential introduction of discrimination claims based on a combination of protected characteristics ie 'multiple discrimination' claims, which in effect, would increase the grounds for bringing a discrimination claim.

Currently, a claimant can only claim discrimination on a single ground (for example, age or sex), albeit s/he can bring more than one claim at once. This means an Employment Tribunal hearing a direct discrimination claim must consider the grounds of, for example, age and sex separately, and may not make a global finding that the claimant was treated less favourably because, for example, she was