News

The Equal Rights Review: A New Journal to Promote the Equalities Debate

London, 28 March 2008

Today, The Equal Rights Trust published the first issue of The Equal Rights Review (ERR), an interdisciplinary biannual intended as a forum for the exchange of legal, philosophical, sociological and other ideas and practical insights from progressive movements promoting equality. Its special focus will be on the complex and complementary relationship between the different forms of discrimination and on developing strategies for translating the principles of equality into practice. ERR will be useful to national and regional experts, students, policy makers and practitioners. It will contain innovative theoretic articles, legal commentary, policy oriented analysis and advocacy reports. Especially welcome are contributions that generate debate.

Romania: Police Brutality against Roma Constitutes Substantive Violation of Article 14 of ECHR

London, 10 March 2008 

On 4 March 2008 the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) held that Romania had violated Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the European Convention on Human Rights in conjunction with Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment). The case of Stoica v. Romania (Application no. 42722/02) was lodged with the ECHR on 19 December 2002 following a failed attempt to invoke successful criminal justice procedures by the applicant’s family in Romania.

European Court of Justice Rules EU Equal Treatment Directive Protects from Dismissal for In Vitro Fertilisation

London, 6 March 2008

On 26 February 2008, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) held that articles 2(1) and 5(1) of Council Directive 76/207/EEC preclude the dismissal of a female worker who is at an advanced stage of in vitro fertilisation treatment, where it can be established that the dismissal is essentially based on the fact that the woman has undergone such treatment. 

Malaysia: Stop Harassment of Opposition and Minority Activists in the Run-up to the Parliamentary Elections

London, 27 February 2008

On 26 February 2008, The Equal Rights Trust again urged Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, to ensure that the police does not abuse its powers to discriminate against certain civil society groups and opposition party activists.  Discriminatory treatment in relation to freedoms protected by international law also violates the victims’ right to participate on equal terms with all other voters in Malaysia in the parliamentary elections set for 8 March 2008.

Turkey: Constitutional Amendments Lifting Headscarf Ban in Higher Education

London, 13 February 2008

The Equal Rights Trust welcomes the adoption by Turkey’s parliament on 9th February 2008 of two constitutional amendments that will ease restrictions on the freedom to wear the Islamic headscarf in public higher education institutions. It has been widely reported that the ban has led to a reduction in the number of women attending higher education and placed women who wear the headscarf as a matter of religious conviction at a disadvantage with regards to the exercise of their right to manifest their religious beliefs and access education. 

France: European Court Finds Violation of Article 14 ECHR on Grounds of Sexual Orientation

London, 24 January 2008 

Nepal Prohibits Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

London, 16 January 2008

On 21 December 2007 the Supreme Court of Nepal issued directive orders to the Government of Nepal to end discrimination against people of different sexual orientation or gender identity. The Equal Rights Trust considers the decision of the court - who use the term “teshro Linga” literally translated as “third gender” and commonly understood to represent lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and inter-sexed persons – to be a progressive step in recognising the equal rights for those with different sexual orientations and gender identities. The decision is a significant victory for the lobbying efforts of the Blue Diamond Society, a local non-governmental organisation supporting people with different sexual orientation or gender identity.

ERT Urges Release of Anti-discrimination Activists in Malaysia

London, 14 December 2007

Today, The Equal Rights Trust urged Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi, the Prime Minister of Malaysia , to immediately release from detention P. Uthayakumar, M. Manoharan, R. Kenghadharan, V. Ganabatirau and T. Vasanthakumar; and to ensure that everyone, without distinction of any kind, including ethnic origin and political or other opinion, is effectively protected from arbitrary arrest and charges for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly. 

ERT Calls on General Musharraf to Release All Those Detained and Reinstate Independent Judiciary

London, 15 November 2007  

In support of the Global Day of Action to protest against the state of emergency in Pakistan, The Equal Rights Trust urged President Musarraf today to order the immediate release of all those arbitrarily arrested and detained, following the introduction of the state of emergency on 3 November 2007, to reinstate dismissed judges, to lift all imposed restrictions on the media and take all other necessary measures to return Pakistan to its constitutional rule.

Victory in a Long Court Battle for Equal Rights: Czech Roma Win the Ostrava Special Schools Case (D.H. and Others v Czech Republic)

On November 13, 2007, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights, overturning the Chamber judgment of 7 February 2006, found that the right to non-discrimination guaranteed by Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights had been violated by Czech authorities who had been placing disproportionately high numbers of Romani children in substandard special schools for children with learning disabilities.

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