10
Legislative Background
The Equality Act came into force on 1 October 2010. The Equality Act brings together over
116 separate pieces of legislation into one single Act. Combined, they make up a new Act
that provides a legal framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of
opportunity for all.
The Act simplifies, strengthens and harmonises the previous legislation to provide the United
Kingdom with a discrimination law which protects individuals from unfair treatment and promotes
a fair and more equal society. This Act introduced a new law called the Public Sector Equality Duty;
this is referred to as the General Equality Duty. In Scotland, this duty states that public authorities
such as colleges must meet a range of specific duties to ensure that equality is considered
throughout all of their activities.
Ayrshire College Equality Outcomes and Mainstreaming Equality 2013-15