The Human Rights Act (1998)
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The Human Rights Act (1998) brought the rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into domestic British law.
In so doing, it placed greater weight on the rights and freedoms of the people in the UK which are enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Act protects the rights of everyone who is in the UK, whatever their status or for whatever reason they are in the UK.
Public bodies
The Act ensures that all public bodies including local authorities, NHS Trusts and government must act in accordance with the Act in the provision of a service or when they make decisions that impact on people’s rights.
The Act also applies to private companies where they are providing a public service (e.g. prisons that are run by private companies).
For more information, click here to visit the Equalities and Human Rights Commission website.
Public Sector Equality Duty
Section 149 of the Act refers specifically to the Public Sector Equality Duty and is to ensure that public services think about how their activities might impact on different people.
The Act is said to support good decision making, and the delivery of efficient and effective services and policies, which meet different people’s needs and are accessible to all.
To find out more about this, click here to visit the Government Equalities Office website.