On 28 October 2020 the Resolution Foundation published a report entitled Jobs, Jobs, Jobs, which disclosed that young workers and workers of colour were disproportionately likely to have been adversely affected by the pandemic. Continue reading
Tag: race
discriminatory policing and the IOPC
On Tuesday 27 October the Guardian reported ONS figures for the year to end March 2020 which demonstrated that Black people in England and Wales show were nine times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people. Continue reading
R (Z and Anor) v Hackney LBC & Anor
[2020] UKSC 40, Lords Reed, Kerr, Kitchen and Sales and Lady Arden
Introduction
The case involved a challenge to Hackney’s allocation of about 1% of its social housing via a charitable housing association (Agudas Israel Housing Association/ AIHA) which prioritized applicants from the Orthodox Jewish Community. The reasons for the priority were, inter alia, that Orthodox Jewish families were disadvantaged in access to general social housing by reason of their tendency to have large families; that they suffered from significant economic disadvantage and discrimination in access to private sector accommodation; and that they needed to live in proximity to each other for religious reasons and because of antisemitism. The decision is an important one in rejecting the argument that a narrow approach should be taken to the parameters of lawful positive action.
R (Bridges) v CC South Wales Police
[2020] EWCA Civ 1058, Sir Terence Etherton MR, Dame Victoria Sharp P and Singh LJ
The Court of Appeal allowed the Claimant’s appeal against the decision of the Divisional Court that the Defendant had not breached the PSED in its trial of live automated facial recognition technology Continue reading
Independent Workers Union of Great Britain v Mayor of London & Transport for London (Interested Party)
[2020] EWCA Civ 1046, Sir Geoffrey Vos C, Singh and Simler LJJ
The claimant unsuccessfully appealed against the rejection by Lewis J of its challenge to the decision to remove the exemption in the congestion charging regime which had previously applied to private hire vehicles (PHVs). The exemption remained applicable to black cabs and to the 1% of PHVs which were wheelchair accessible. The claimant argued that the removal of the exemption amounted to indirect discrimination against BAME and women PHV drivers, 94% of PHV drivers being from BAME backgrounds whereas 88% of black cab drivers were white. Continue reading
BTPC examinations
High levels of concern are being expressed on Twitter about the equality implications of arrangements for the BTPC examinations, which are to be taken in August online either remotely or in a test centre. Continue reading
discriminatory policing under lockdown, updated
The Home Affairs Committee is currently taking evidence on policing and race, including the policing of the covid-19 lockdown, as part of its inquiry into The Macpherson Report: twenty-one years on. Continue reading
racial diversity at the bar
The July 2020 print issue of Counsel magazine carries an article by Lesley Thomas QC (until recently joint head of Garden Court chambers, now also a professor of law at Gresham College) subtitled “Let’s talk about race. Forget the guilt and take action. Bias is implicit and often unconscious. It takes great courage to change the system. It benefits us all.” Continue reading
gender pay gap 2020
In news that is unlikely to come as a surprise to many of us, The Times reported on 20 April 2020 that “Men dominate jobs offering highest pay”. Continue reading
access to education for “undocumented” young
In R (Tigere) v Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills [2015] UKSC 57, [2016] 1 All ER 191, [2015] ELR 455 the Supreme Court ruled that the unavailability of student funding to the claimant, who had discretionary leave to remain in the UK, breached Art 14 ECHR and A1P1, though it upheld a requirement for three years’ lawful residence. Continue reading