Sam Smethers on the Sex Discrimination Law Review

Listen to a recording of the event here.

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Sam Smethers, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society, will talk about Fawcett’s exciting new project to review our sex discrimination law. They want to gather evidence from a wide range of individuals, organisations, legal experts, employers and trade unions.

The Review has been established in response to the concern that rights may be eroded or weakened as a result of Brexit. But the Review, which has a broad remit, will also consider the effectiveness of current laws and how best to balance the rights of the individual with the responsibilities of the organisation.

The Panel who will be reviewing the evidence includes Dame Laura Cox, three members of Cloister Chambers and Karen Monaghan QC from Matrix Chambers. Some of the areas being looked at are:

• Employment law & discrimination including pregnancy discrimination, sexist dress codes, equal pay including pension provision
• The application of the definition of indirect discrimination
• Family friendly rights for parents and carers including possible consolidation
• Harassment including on the internet and social media
• Hate crime and its limits
• Multiple discrimination, particularly intersectional discrimination and whether Section 14 of the Equality Act 2010 in its current form is sufficient
• Public sector equality duty and specific duties
• The balance of individual rights vs the responsibility of the organisation to promote equality
• Access to justice

Find out more about Fawcett's Sex Discrimination Law Review