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Equality Act 2006
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Equality Act 2006, Part 3 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 19 April 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
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Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.
Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:
Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):
- s. 21(8) inserted by 2023 c. 51 s. 4(2)
- s. 24A(1)(aa) inserted by 2023 c. 51 s. 4(3)
Part 3E+W+SDiscrimination on grounds of sexual orientation
F181RegulationsN.I.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Textual Amendments
F1S. 81 repealed (1.10.2010) by Equality Act 2010 (c. 15), s. 216(3), Sch. 26 para. 81, Sch. 27 Pt. 1 (with ss. 6(4), 205); S.I. 2010/2317, art. 2(15)(e)(ix) (as amended (1.10.2010) by S.I. 2010/2337, art. 2)
82Regulations for Northern IrelandN.I.
(1)The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister may by regulations make provision about discrimination or harassment on grounds of sexual orientation.
(2)In subsection (1) “sexual orientation” has the same meaning as in the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 (SR 2003 No. 497).
(3)The regulations may, in particular—
(a)make provision of a kind similar to Part 3 of the Race Relations Order (discrimination on grounds of race, etc. other than in employment field) and Part 4 of that Order so far as it applies for the purposes of Part 3;
(b)define discrimination;
(c)define harassment;
(d)make provision for enforcement (which may, in particular, include provision—
(i)creating a criminal offence of a kind similar to, and with the same maximum penalties as, an offence created by the Race Relations Order;
(ii)about validity and revision of contracts;
(iii)about discriminatory advertisements;
(iv)about instructing or causing discrimination or harassment);
(e)provide for exceptions (whether or not of a kind similar to those provided for by Part 6 of the Race Relations Order or any other enactment relating to discrimination);
(f)confer powers or impose duties or restrictions on the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland of a kind similar to those conferred or imposed on the Commission by Part 7 of the Race Relations Order;
(g)make provision which applies generally or only in specified cases or circumstances;
(h)make different provision for different cases or circumstances;
(i)include incidental or consequential provision (which may include provision amending an enactment);
(j)include transitional provision.
(4)The power to make regulations under this section is exercisable by statutory rule for the purposes of the Statutory Rules (Northern Ireland) Order 1979 (SI 1979/ 1573 (NI 12)).
(5)Regulations may not be made under this section unless a draft has been laid before and approved by resolution of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
(6)In this section—
“the Race Relations Order” means the Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 (SI 1997/869 (N.I. 6));
“enactment” includes an enactment contained in or made under Northern Ireland legislation.
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