Single Equality Bill is drafted for Lords

A draft Equality Bill has been drawn up for public consultation, with the aim of addressing the gaps in the current equality legislation.

The bill, drafted for the Cambridge Centre for Public Law, sets out a single framework for eliminating discrimination and promoting equality, regardless of racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, sex, marital or family status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age or disability.

It will be introduced as a private members bill in the House of Lords later in the year by Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC.

The Bill targets all grounds of unfair discrimination in all spheres of activity and extends the positive duty requirements of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 beyond race to sex and disability and establishes a single equality body ith a range of statutory powers to oversee the implementation of the Bill and to enforce its requirements.

The Commission for Racial Equality has welcomed the Bill in principle, saying that it "will obviously want to examine the individual proposals in more detail." And the Disability Rights Commission said that it believes that "a Single Equality Act is the best way to achieve equality in the United Kingdom".

The draft Equality Bill can be downloaded from the website of the Odysseus Trust at www.odysseustrust.org or telephone: 7404 4712. The consultation period runs until 30 September 2002.