The Race Relations Act 1976 and Equality Act 2006In Great Britain (Scotland, England and Wales) the Race Relations Act 1976 prohibits discrimination on grounds of race, colour, national or ethnic origin, or nationality. Discrimination on the grounds of language is not directly prohibited, but may amount to ‘indirect discrimination’. The Act is complemented by a code of practice: the Code of Practice for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Promotion of Equality of Opportunity in Employment, prepared by the then Commission for Racial Equality.Employers who fail to observe the statutory provisions are not liable to criminal prosecution but it is not advisable, though, for an employer to ignore the recommendations laid down in the codes of practice, as this may be used as evidence in a complaint to an employment tribunal.The Race Relations Act prohibits discriminatory acts in relation to applicants and employees.· It is unlawful to discriminate in the arrangements made for recruiting. Questions during the course of recruitment indicating an intention to discriminate, and the employer making prejudicial assumptions based on race, could lead to allegations of discrimination.· It is unlawful to discriminate against a person in the terms on which employment is offered.· It is unlawful to segregate people in the same racial group.· There must be equal opportunity in access to promotion, transfer and training.· Assistance with training for particular work may be offered to a racial group under-represented in that work in the preceding 12 months.The Equality Act 2006 abolished the Commission for Racial Equality and two other bodies and replaced them with the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. It also introduced new provisions in respect of discrimination on grounds of religion and belief.
