The Equality Act 2010 was one of the last measures to be enacted under the Labour Government which lost office in the U.K. in May 2010. It is the outcome of 14 years of campaigning by equality specialists and human
rights organisations. Remarkably, there was eventually cross-party support for nearly
all of its provisions, and the new Conservative-
Liberal Democrat Coalition Government
is committed to bring it into operation in stages from October 2010. The Act covers Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) but not Northern Ireland which has devolved powers on these matters, and appears to be set to continue its own patchwork of anti-discrimination legislation rather than enact
a single Act, because of disagreements within the power-sharing government of that province. However, Northern Ireland has since 1989 been the pathfinder of new ways to combat inequality, some of which are reflected in the British Act.
Some features of the Act may serve as a model
for other countries, in particular:
▪ Adopting a unitary or integrated perspective
of equality law enforced by a single Commission;
▪ Clarifying the definitions of discrimination,
harassment and victimisation and applying them across all protected characteristics;
▪ Expanding positive duties on public authorities
to advance equali