Chapter 5 — The UK Government, the Law and Your Role
Fundamental Principles
Human Rights
- The UK helped to draft the European Convention on Human Rights after WWII
- The Human Rights Act 1998 incorporated these rights into UK law
- These rights apply to everyone in the UK
Key Rights Include:
- Right to life
- Freedom from torture and inhumane treatment
- Right to a fair trial
- Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
- Freedom of expression
- Right to privacy
- Freedom from slavery and forced labour
- Right to education
The Equality Act 2010
Protects people from discrimination based on protected characteristics:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
Equal Opportunities
- Discrimination in the workplace is illegal
- Equal pay — men and women must be paid the same for equivalent work
- Employers must not discriminate in hiring, promotion, or dismissal
- Harassment and victimisation are also prohibited
Key Principles
- Everyone is equal before the law — regardless of background
- Tolerance is one of the fundamental principles of British life
- There is no place for extremism or intolerance
- Both direct discrimination (treating someone worse because of a characteristic) and indirect discrimination (policies that disadvantage a group) are illegal
Test yourself
Check your understanding with these quick questions.
1.The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination based on:
2.The European Convention on Human Rights protects:
3.What is the Human Rights Act 1998?
4.Discrimination in the workplace is:
5.Which of these is a 'protected characteristic' under the Equality Act?