| Welsh: Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol | |
.svg) | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1 October 2007 |
| Jurisdiction | Great Britain |
| Employees | 218 |
| Annual budget | £17.1 million (FY 20/21) |
| Agency executives |
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| Parent department | Cabinet Office |
| Key document | |
| Website | https://www.equalityhumanrights.com |
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is a non-departmental public body in Great Britain, established by the Equality Act 2006 with effect from 1 October 2007. The Commission has responsibility for the promotion and enforcement of equality and non-discrimination laws in England, Scotland and Wales (in Scotland, together with the Scottish Human Rights Commission). It took over the responsibilities of the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission. The EHRC also has responsibility for other aspects of equality law: age, sexual orientation and religion or belief. A national human rights institution, it seeks to promote and protect human rights throughout Great Britain.
The EHRC has offices in Manchester, London, Glasgow and Cardiff.[1] It is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) sponsored by the Government Equalities Office, part of the Cabinet Office. It is separate from, and independent of, Government but accountable for its use of public funds. Its Commissioners are appointed by the Minister for Women and Equalities.[2][3] The EHRC's functions do not extend to Northern Ireland, where there is a separate Equality Commission (ECNI) and a Human Rights Commission (NIHRC), each and both established under the Northern Ireland Act 1998 in pursuance to the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.[4] The EHRC is also prevented from taking action on devolved human rights matters which the Scottish Parliament has granted the Scottish Human Rights Commission responsibility.[5]
The current head of the EHRC is Kishwer Falkner, Baroness Falkner of Margravine, who took on the role in December 2020.[6] The Commission has been criticised for its treatment of minority staff, and since 2021 for its actions in transgender matters.
- ^ "Our offices | Equality and Human Rights Commission". www.equalityhumanrights.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- ^ "Our Commissioners, committees and governance". Equality and Human Rights Commission. 9 August 2020. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ "Four new commissioners appointed to board of Equality and Human Rights Commission". Scottish Legal News. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ Devine, Paula; Kelly, Grace; McAuley, Martina (2022). "Equality and Devolution in the United Kingdom: A Story in Three Acts and a Sequel". Social Policy and Society. 21 (4): 612–626. doi:10.1017/S1474746421000191. ISSN 1474-7464. S2CID 230544185.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "New chair of equalities watchdog is against call for unis to adopt IHRA". Jewish News. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.