The Legal Services Board published its ‘Vision for legislative reform of the regulatory framework for legal services in England and Wales’ in September 2016.
Leading equality and human rights barristers from Cloisters chambers give a monthly practical insight into key legal developments.
The Women and Equalities Committee report on Pregnancy and maternity discrimination calls for UK women to have protections similar to those in Germany after a ‘shocking’ increase in workplace pregnancy discrimination over the past decade.
The Joint Committee on Human Rights launched an inquiry into the UK’s record on children’s rights. The inquiry follows the UK assessment of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, and will consider both the recommendations made by the Committee, as well as considering any implications for children’s rights of the Children and Social Work Bill. The deadline for submitting was 7 October 2016.
The Joint Committee on Human Rights has launched an inquiry into the human rights implication of Brexit. The committee is focusing on three particular issues: privacy and family life; international trade; and other human rights protected by EU law. The deadline for submissions passed on 10 October 2016.
In April 2016 the Women and Equalities Select Committee launched the first parliamentary inquiry into the scale and impact of sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools. The Committee now invites stakeholders to assess the strength of evidence submitted by the Government to the Committee’s inquiry. The deadline for comments was midday on 5 July.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission published their report following their section 20 investigation of the Metropolitan Police Service in September 2016.
The government is to undertake a full public consultation on the issue of caste and the Equality Act 2010. A key aim of the consultation will be to obtain the views of the public on whether additional measures are needed to ensure victims of caste discrimination have appropriate legal protection and effective remedies under the 2010 Equality Act.
In September 2016, the Equality and Human Rights Commission published ‘Crime and disabled people: Measures of disability-related harassment, 2016 update’.
The House of Commons Library published a briefing on 26 August 2016 on the possible impact of Brexit across policy areas. The areas covered include employment, immigration, police and justice, human rights, and social security.
