Health insurance, and Jedi-ism
Mar. 22nd, 2010 07:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
purpletigronOne-and-a-half cheers for the vote on health reforms in the USA.
... and a segue from concerns about reproductive rights to ...
... a strange collision of worlds, where I'm talking to UK Civil Servants about what belief systems UK Equality laws are 'intended to protect' and discovering: certainly not Jedi-ism (because UK residents will generally consider it a trivial fiction), nor Marxism (because political beliefs are not covered) nor Darwinism (because scientific beliefs are not covered)
According to the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission (which is outside Government, but can issue statutory as well as non-statutory guidance: a statutory body responsible for protecting, enforcing and promoting equality across the seven "protected" grounds - age, disability, gender, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation and gender reassignment."):
The following characteristics are ‘protected characteristics’ under the proposed Equality Act 2010 (currently a Bill): age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
Prohibited conduct includes: direct and indirect discrimination, discrimination arising from disability, victimisation and harassment.
It is unlawful to discriminate in providing goods, facilities or services to the public on the grounds of sex, race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, and religion or belief ... but it can be lawful to discriminate on the basis of age (e.g. serving alcohol, but also, providing healthcare).
In order to be protected under the Equality Act 2006 (already in force), a religion or belief must be able to be generally recognised as being:
* cogent (that is, comprehensible)
* serious (that is, practiced earnestly by adherents)
* cohesive (that is, recognizably a common practice or system)
* compatible with human dignity (that is, in line with Human Rights law).
The UK Government is apparently saying that 'opinions based on scientific or political theories' are not considered to be protected philosophical beliefs.
ETA You can currently respond to an EHRC consultation on their draft guidance relating to the Equality Bill 2010: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/legislative-framework/equality-bill/
... and a segue from concerns about reproductive rights to ...
... a strange collision of worlds, where I'm talking to UK Civil Servants about what belief systems UK Equality laws are 'intended to protect' and discovering: certainly not Jedi-ism (because UK residents will generally consider it a trivial fiction), nor Marxism (because political beliefs are not covered) nor Darwinism (because scientific beliefs are not covered)
According to the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission (which is outside Government, but can issue statutory as well as non-statutory guidance: a statutory body responsible for protecting, enforcing and promoting equality across the seven "protected" grounds - age, disability, gender, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation and gender reassignment."):
The following characteristics are ‘protected characteristics’ under the proposed Equality Act 2010 (currently a Bill): age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
Prohibited conduct includes: direct and indirect discrimination, discrimination arising from disability, victimisation and harassment.
It is unlawful to discriminate in providing goods, facilities or services to the public on the grounds of sex, race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, and religion or belief ... but it can be lawful to discriminate on the basis of age (e.g. serving alcohol, but also, providing healthcare).
In order to be protected under the Equality Act 2006 (already in force), a religion or belief must be able to be generally recognised as being:
* cogent (that is, comprehensible)
* serious (that is, practiced earnestly by adherents)
* cohesive (that is, recognizably a common practice or system)
* compatible with human dignity (that is, in line with Human Rights law).
The UK Government is apparently saying that 'opinions based on scientific or political theories' are not considered to be protected philosophical beliefs.
ETA You can currently respond to an EHRC consultation on their draft guidance relating to the Equality Bill 2010: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/legislative-framework/equality-bill/
