The Equality Commission Role and Services

The Equality Commission Role and Services

www.equalityni.org

Copyright © 2004-2005 NameOfTheOrganization. All rights reserved.

Course objectives

The background of the Commission

Its structure

Its vision and mission

Its range of powers and responsibilities

Key Equality Laws in Northern Ireland

What discrimination is

Areas of everyday life covered by equality law

By completing this course, you will know:

Background of the Commission


Section 1 – The Equality Commission

What the Commission is

Where the Commission came from

Its vision

Its mission

In this section you will learn about:


What the Commission is

The statutory body in Northern Ireland which promotes equality of opportunity and works to eliminate discrimination on grounds of:

AgeAge

RaceRace

DisabilityDisability

SexSexSexual OrientationSexual Orientation

Religious Belief / Political OpinionReligious Belief / Political Opinion


What the Commission isAn independent public body established under Section 73 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

Equality House

7–9 Shaftesbury SquareBelfast

Carries out regulatory functions on behalf of Government (enforces anti-discrimination law and legislation designed to promote equality)

Provides specialist advice to Ministers and others

Has a Province wide remit

Has a board whose members (commissioners) are appointed by the Secretary of State/NIO

Employs its own staff, who are not civil servants

Manages its own budget.


Where the Commission came from

Equality Commission for Northern Ireland

Commissionfor RacialEquality

EqualOpportunitiesCommission

NIDisability

RightsCouncil

Fair EmploymentCommission

HumanRights

Commission


The Commission’s Vision

A shared, integrated & inclusive place

A society where difference is respected and valued

Based on equality and fairness for the entire community

1

2

3

1

2

3


Advance equality

Promote equality of opportunity

Encourage good relations

Challenge discrimination

The Commission’s Mission

Through

Promotion

Advice

Enforcement

The Equality Commission’s Role


Section 2 – The Commission’s Role

Supporting Complainants

Providing Advice and Assistance

Investigation and Enforcement

Promoting Equality & Good Relations

Overseeing the Public Sector Equality & Good Relations Duties

Conducting Research

Reviewing Legislation

In this section you will learn about the Commission’s role in:


Commission’s Role

Research

Overseeing statutory duties on public authorities to take equality and good relations into account in its work

Advising & assisting people who believe they have been discriminated against

Enforcing the law(enforcement powers are different across the various equality grounds)

Providing information, education and promoting equality and good relations

Keeping the equality legislation under review and making recommendations to government for change

It’s wide range of powers and responsibilities


Supporting Complainants

The Equality Commission gives advice and assistance to people who believe they have been discriminated against because of their:

Age

Disability

Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, including being an Irish Traveller)

Religious belief or political opinion

Sex (including married or civil partner status)

Sexual orientation


Providing Advice and Assistance

The Equality Commission does not decide whether discrimination has in fact occurred

This decision is made by an independent industrial tribunal, court or Special Educational Needs & Disability Tribunal


Investigation and Enforcement

The Commission has powers

to ensure that people

comply with the legislation

including some powers to

investigate particular

organisations or practices


Promoting Equality & Good Relations

Promoting and encouraging good

equal opportunities practice is as important as

enforcing the law


Overseeing Public Sector Equality & Good Relations Duties

The Commission oversees

how effectively public authorities

carry out the duties placed on

them by Section 75 of the

Northern Ireland Act


Conducting Research

Provides reliable information and

informs the debate on equality

issues

A Key Inequalities statement,

published Oct 2007, highlighted

persistent inequalities in Northern

Ireland in a number of areas. The

statement was based on a variety of

research and its findings informed

the Commission’s work


Reviewing Legislation

The Commission monitors the

way that Northern Ireland’s

equality laws are working, and

makes recommendations to

Government on ways in which

they can be improved

Equality Law in Northern Ireland


Section 3 – Equality Law


Types of discrimination

What discrimination law covers

In this section you will learn about:


Singled out for worse treatment


Generally, discrimination is treating someone less favourably purely because of their:

Note

Discrimination is

not always

unlawful and some

discrimination can

be justified

despite equality

laws

RaceRace

Sexual Orientation

Sexual Orientation

AgeAge

DisabilityDisability

SexSex

Political Opinion

Political Opinion

Religious Belief

Religious Belief


Types of discrimination

DirectDirect

VictimisationVictimisation

Failure to make

reasonable adjustments

Failure to make

reasonable adjustments

IndirectIndirect

HarassmentHarassment

Pregnancyrelated

Pregnancyrelated


What discrimination law covers

Education

(with some

exceptions)

Education

(with some

exceptions)Housing & accommodation

Housing & accommodation

Accessing goods, facilities, & services (except for age)

Accessing goods, facilities, & services (except for age)

EmploymentEmployment


Equality Commission’s Role

Equality Commission’s Role

Course summary

Equality Law in

Northern Ireland

Equality Law in

Northern Ireland

Background of the

Equality Commission

Background of the

Equality Commission

This short course has covered the following subjects:


For more

If you want more information about these subjects, or the Equality Commission …

Visit our website

028 90 500

600

Ring our Reception 028 90 500 600

Or email [email protected]

The Equality Commission Role and Services

Documents

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