EHRC launches legal aid inquiry after damning justice report – Legal Futures

Posted September 10th, 2018 in budgets, equality, Equality and Human Rights Commission, legal aid, news by tracey

‘A catalogue of disastrous consequences has followed a reduction in the scope of legal aid, including debt from high lawyers’ fees, possible ill-informed judicial decisions, and knock-on costs for other parts of the public sector, according to new research.’

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Legal Futures, 10th September 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Ban non-disclosure agreements on workplace sexual harassment, says EHRC – Daily Telegraph

‘Non-disclosure agreements about sexual harassment in the workplace should be banned, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has said.’

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Daily Telegraph, 27th March 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Here’s Why You Need to Know About the Equality and Human Rights Commission – Rights Info

Posted January 8th, 2018 in Equality and Human Rights Commission, human rights, news by sally

‘If you’re following our work here at RightsInfo, the chances are you’re interested in following what’s going on with your human rights. So, you probably should know about the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).’

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Rights Info, 5th January 2018

Source: rightsinfo.org

UK ministers blocking appointments to rights watchdog, say lawyers – The Guardian

‘The Equality and Human Rights Commission is running short of board members and struggling to fulfil its duties because, lawyers allege, ministers are repeatedly vetoing appointments on political grounds.’

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The Guardian, 18th December 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Human rights commission to launch its own Grenfell fire inquiry – The Guardian

‘Britain’s human rights watchdog is to launch an inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire that will examine whether the government and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea failed in their duties to protect life and provide safe housing.’

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The Guardian, 9th December 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

All Born Free and Equal? How Equality Underpins Our Human Rights – RightsInfo

Posted November 22nd, 2017 in equality, Equality and Human Rights Commission, human rights, news, treaties by sally

‘Equality pops up all the time when we talk about human rights. In fact, the very first article of the UN Convention on Human Rights states that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”’

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RightsInfo, 21st November 2017

Source: rightsinfo.org

Landlord’s ‘curry smell’ letting ban unlawful – BBC News

‘A buy-to-let tycoon who banned Indian and Pakistani tenants “because of the curry smell” has been ordered to ditch the policy.’

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BBC News, 8th November 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Putting Women on the Front Foot: The Joint Committee Report on High Heels and Dress Codes at Work – Cloisters

‘The Joint Committee report on high heels and dress codes at work shows that discriminatory dress codes can promote the sexualised objectification of women at work, disadvantage people with disabilities, inhibit employment prospects, impair work performance and cause long term and substantial damage to health.’

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Cloisters, 26th January 2017

Source: www.cloisters.com

Police ‘could help prevent’ 400 deaths after custody – BBC News

‘Four hundred people killed themselves shortly after being released from police custody in England and Wales in the last seven years, a report says.’

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BBC News, 10th December 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Regina (Unison) v Lord Chancellor, (Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening) (Nos 1 and 2) – WLR Daily

Regina (Unison) v Lord Chancellor, (Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening)(Nos 1 and 2)[2015] EWCA Civ 935; [2015] WLR (D) 370

‘The Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal Fees Order 2013 whereby fees were payable by a claimant or appellant on the commencement of a claim or an appeal and also in advance of the final hearing unless they were entitled to a remission on account of limited means was lawful and not discriminatory.’

WLR Daily, 26th August 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Regina (Letts) v Lord Chancellor (Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening) – WLR Daily

Regina (Letts) v Lord Chancellor (Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening) [2015] EWHC 402 (Admin); [2015] WLR (D) 90

‘The Lord Chancellor’s Exceptional Funding Guidance (Inquests) (promulgated under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012) was unlawful in that it provided a misleading impression of the law for caseworkers considering an application from relatives of a deceased for legal aid to cover representation at an inquest into a death which arose in circumstances which might have engaged article 2 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.’

WLR Daily, 20th February 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Politicians have a human right to sound racist, says equalities watchdog – Daily Telegraph

‘Equality and Human Rights Commission upholds right to publish Mohammed cartoons but not to teach that gay people will ‘burn in Hell’.’

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Daily Telegraph, 4th February 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Equalities watchdog to investigate Met police over staff discrimination claims – The Guardian

‘The Metropolitan police are to face a formal investigation by the equalities watchdog into whether the force broke the law and discriminated against staff.’

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The Guardian, 15th December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Independent Living Fund closure ruled lawful – BBC News

‘A government decision to close a fund that helps disabled people to live and work in the community has been ruled lawful by the High Court.’

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BBC News, 8th December 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Disabled man forced off bus by refusal to move pram sparks equality test case – The Guardian

‘A woman’s refusal to move a pushchair with a sleeping baby from a bay on a bus used by wheelchair passengers – causing a disabled man to have to leave the vehicle – is at the centre of a test-case legal battle in the court of appeal.’

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The Guardian, 11th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Watchdog investigates Met police over handling of discrimination complaints – The Guardian

‘Scotland Yard is being investigated by a human rights watchdog for deleting references to discrimination from internal reports to avoid problems at tribunals.’

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The Guardian, 22nd September 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (Detention Action) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening) – WLR Daily

Regina (Detention Action) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening); [2014] EWHC 2245 (Admin); [2014] WLR (D) 310

‘The Detained Fast Track policy, operated by the Secretary of State, for the detention of some asylum seekers while their asylum claims were being determined was not unlawful in its terms.’

WLR Daily, 9th July 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Government response and progress update to Equality and Human Rights Commission report ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ – Home Office

“In July 2012, the government published its response to the EHRC recommendations from its inquiry into disability related harassment. Our response set out our commitment to tackle disability related harassment and how we planned to take forward work to address the issues identified, including through ‘Challenge it, Report it, Stop it’, the government’s plan to tackle hate crime. This update provides an overview of the government’s specific achievements to address hate crime and disability-related harassment to date. Over the last year we have made significant progress in a number of areas to identify gaps and improve our response to disability equality, change negative attitudes and provide support for disabled people and disabled people’s organisations.”

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Home Office, 14th November 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Home Office may have broken the law in ‘racist’ spot checks on suspected illegal immigrants – and may have questioned domestic violence victims – The Independent

“The Home Office is facing an investigation into whether its officials broke the law by carrying out ‘racist’ spot checks to find illegal immigrants, as it emerged that domestic violence victims may also have been questioned about their right to be in Britain.”

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The Independent, 3rd August 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Commission helps disabled man win compensation for discrimination – Equality and Human Rights Commission

“The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has helped a disabled man win £1,500 pounds in an out of court settlement after he was refused access to a nightclub and then taunted by staff.”

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Equality and Human Rights Commission, 6th February 2013

Source: www.equalityhumanrights.com