If complainants are not satisfied with the government agency response
through the mediation service, they may take the matter to the Human
Rights Review Tribunal.
Under Part 1A, disability was the issue most complained about, with
156 enquiries and complaints this year (189 last year). As with last year,
a significant number of Part 1A complaints involved issues relating to
schools, including the need to accommodate children with disabilities.
The teaching of religion in schools attracted a number of enquiries and
complaints this year. Complaints about public transport and provision
for an ‘other’ sex category on official forms were also received. The
mediation process provides the opportunity for complainants to both
understand complex government policy and actively engage in the
development of policy that affects them. At the same time, mediation
enables policy makers to understand the impact their policies have on
the people who are affected by them.
There were 837 new enquiries and complaints under Part 2 of the Human
Rights Act this year, compared with 1084 last year. Under Part 2 of the
Human Rights Act 1993 race-related complaints; that is, race, colour,
national origin discrimination and racial harassment are again the grounds
most complained about. Race figured in half of all discrimination
complaints about the provision of goods and services and in a third of all
employment and pre-employment complaints. The treatment that leads
to a race discrimination complaint is not usually overt in the same way
as, for example, sex or disability discrimination.
Unlawful Discrimination Enquiries and Complaints Part1A and Part 2 (Grouped by Area)
Employment
383
Government activity
363
Provision of goods and services
208
Pre-employment
117
Land, housing and accomodation
69
Educational establishments
44
Places, facilities, vehicles
32
Public places – racial disharmony (s61)
29
Advertisements
16
Professional and trade associations
5
Partnerships
2
Qualifying bodies
0
Vocational training bodies
0
0
Annual Report 2015
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
15