The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 (the “Act”) came into force on 2nd April 2001. Given that the Act is a response in part to the concerns raised in the Stephen Lawrence inquiry, much of the press coverage has focused on the Act’s application to the police. However, it is essential to note that the Act covers a much wider range of bodies than the obvious public authorities such as the police and government.
The Act strengthens and extends the scope of the Race Relations Act 1976. It requires all public functions to be carried on without racial discrimination and imposes on certain specified bodies general and specific duties to promote racial equality. It also gives the Commission of Racial Equality (“CRE”) enhanced powers to issue statutory guidance and enforce the specific duties. Although it is targeted primarily at the public sector, standards required of public bodies will also influence practice in the private sector in a number of ways, discussed below.
