Equality Act 2010: Public Sector Equality Duty what do I need to know?

This replaces previous guidanceon the public sector Equality Dutypublished by the GovernmentEqualities Offce on 12 January 2011.Please discard the previous guidance.IntroductionThe Equality Act 2010 (the Act) replaces theprevious anti-discrimination laws with a singleAct. It simplifies the law, removing inconsistenciesand making it easier for people to understandand comply with it. It also strengthens the law inimportant ways, to help tackle discrimination andinequality. The majority of the Act came into forceon 1 October 2010.This quick start guide is intended to help publicsector organisations understand a key measure inthe Act – the public sector Equality Duty,which came into force on 5 April 2011. The EqualityDuty ensures that all public bodies play their part inmaking society fairer by tackling discrimination andproviding equality of opportunity for all.Sources of further information about the EqualityDuty are listed at the end of the guide.