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New equality landscape

28 October 2010 / John Wadham
Issue: 7439 / Categories: Features , Public , Human rights
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The Equality Act provides firm foundations on which to build for the future, says John Wadham

By rolling over one hundred pieces of legislation into the one practical, common sense law, and extending protection to all 61 million citizens of Great Britain, the Equality Act 2010 will help to create a firm foundation for a fairer society in which everybody has the chance to fulfil their potential.

For over 40 years British legislation has driven forward equality and enabled some of those who are mistreated at work or overlooked by public services to pursue justice through the courts. We have made some good progress in tackling the most acute examples of discrimination because individuals and organisations now know that they can be brought to account.

However, as the Commission’s recently published landmark report, How Fair is Britain? shows, chronic disadvantage and inequality persists. A child’s postcode at birth is a reasonable predictor of their lot in life as an adult and our choices and chances in life are still, to a great extent,

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Sports, education and charities practice welcomes senior associate

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Partner and head of commercial litigation joins in Chelmsford

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Firm strengthens Glasgow corporate practice with partner hire

NEWS
One in five in-house lawyers suffer ‘high’ or ‘severe’ work-related stress, according to a report by global legal body, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)
The Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO’s) plea for a budget increase has been rejected by the Law Society and accepted only ‘with reluctance’ by conveyancers
Overcrowded prisons, mental health hospitals and immigration centres are failing to meet international and domestic human rights standards, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has warned
Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
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