The new Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Legislation to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of gender and race was introduced in the UK during the early 1970s and recently expanded to include those with disabilities. However, legislation was not enough to ensure that individuals and groups could exercise and protect their rights, and consequently a number of different commissions were established by the UK Government, namely the Commission for Racial Equality (established 1976), the Equal Opportunities Commission (established 1970) and the Disability Rights Commission (established 2000). The remit of these commissions was to investigate those aspects of life in which discrimination occurred, and either seekredress for those affected or workwith other bodies to bring about improvements. In addition these commissions have needed to be responsive to the changing nature of UK society. Inherent in such change is the recognition that the particular differences of socially marginalised groups may place their members outside the remit of the existing commissions. Alongside this recognition there has grown an increased understanding of the concept of human rights and the subtle ways in which discrimination can occur. This paper explains current Government proposals to amalgamate the existing commissions into a single Commission for Equality and Human Rights.