Office for Equality and Opportunity calls for evidence on equality law - Law Society response

16 Jul 2025

1 minute read

We responded to the Office for Equality and Opportunity call for evidence on existing equality legislation and possible equality law reform.

The proposals

The government is seeking evidence and views on how current equality legislation is working in practice. It is exploring potential reforms to strengthen protections.

The evidence gathered will help shape future legislation, including the proposed Equality (Race and Disability) Bill.

We did not respond to the individual questions in the call for evidence. However, we provided our general position on the section on "equal pay".

Our view

Our support for the principles of the Equality Act 2010 has been longstanding, including its specific provisions for equal pay.

We appreciate the good intention in the proposal to introduce equal pay legislation for disabled and ethnic minorities.

We do, however, have concerns about how this would work in practice.

While we understand the aims of extending equal pay legislation to further workplace equality, we strongly believe that there are complex challenges involved in bringing an equal pay claim for disability and/or race, such as costs. This would mean that if such measures were introduced, they would unlikely be used.

We do not believe it is the right vehicle to achieve the government’s aim.

What this means for solicitors

Solicitors will need to consider that while extending equal pay legislation for disabled and ethnic minorities is well meaning, it may not be practical.

Claims will likely be costly, complex and rarely used, so better legal routes to workplace equality may be needed.