United Kingdom

Equal Rights Trust Letter to Derbyshire County Council Regarding Services for Roma Communities

Letter from the Equal Rights Trust to Derbyshire County Council focused on ensuring equality in access to council services for Roma communities. The letter shares findings of consultation meetings which were undertaken with members of the migrant Roma community in consultation meetings held in Derby. These consultations have revealed the existence of significant barriers which prevent members of this community from accessing Council services in the Derby area on an equal basis with others.

Equal Rights Trust Alternative Report Submitted to the 114 Session of the Human Rights Committee: UK

Equal Rights Trust alternative report submitted to the 114 session of the Human Rights Committee in relation to the seventh periodic report submitted by the United Kingdom. This submission focuses on the extent to which the United Kingdom has met its obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the right to non-discrimination. Thus, the submission is primarily concerned with the United Kingdom’s performance under two Articles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the Covenant): first, Article 2(1) of the Covenant which requires that states parties respect and ensure the en

High Court Rules UK Government’s Planning Process Unlawfully Discriminates against Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers

London, 05 February 2015
 
On 21 January 2015, the High Court of Justice of England and Wales held that the conduct of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (the SSCLG) in relation to certain planning decisions amounted to indirect discrimination against Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers. The SSCLG had a policy of personally determining appeals by travellers to develop sites on certain areas of protected land which led to significant delays in the hearing of those appeals. The Court concluded that the SSCLG had failed to have any regard to the equality implications of this practice, failing to meet his Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). The significant delays also amounted to a violation of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Domestic Worker's Discrimination Claim Not Defeated by Illegality of Employment Contract, Says UK Supreme Court

London, 12 August 2014
 
On 30 July 2014, the UK Supreme Court issued its judgment in Hounga v Allen and another, upholding the discrimination claim of a domestic worker who had been working under an illegal contract. In a decision which ensures important legal redress for exploited workers, the Supreme Court found that the illegality of the contract was not sufficiently linked to the act of discrimination to defeat the claim. 

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