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, determined by our origins. For example, across Britain disabled adults
