Race Relations Act 1976
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1976 c. 74 |
Race Relations Act 1976
1976 CHAPTER 74
An Act to make fresh provision with respect to discrimination on racial grounds and relations between people of different racial groups; and to make in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 amendments for bringing provisions in that Act relating to its administration and enforcement into conformity with the corresponding provisions in this Act.
[22nd November 1976]
B e it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
Part I
Discrimination To Which Act Applies
1 Racial discrimination.
(1) A person discriminates against another in any circumstances relevant for the purposes of any provision of this Act if—
( a ) on racial grounds he treats that other less favourably than he treats or would treat other persons; or
( b ) he applies to that other a requirement or condition which he applies or would apply equally to persons not of the same racial group as that other but—
(i) which is such that the proportion of persons of the same racial group as that other who can comply with it is considerably smaller than the proportion of persons not of that racial group who can comply with it; and
(ii) which he cannot show to be justifiable irrespective of the colour race, nationality or ethnic or national origins of the person to whom it is applied; and
(iii) which is to the detriment of that other because he cannot comply with it.
(2) It is hereby declared that, for the purposes of this Act, segregating a person from other persons on racial grounds is treating him less favourably than they are treated.
2 Discrimination by way of victimisation.
(1) A person (‘the discriminator’) discriminates against another person (‘the person victimised’) in any circumstances relevant for the purposes of any provision of this Act if he treats the person victimised less favourably than in those circumstances he treats or would treat other persons, and does so by reason that the person victimised has—
( a ) brought proceedings against the discriminator or any other person under this Act; or
( b ) given evidence or information in connection with proceedings brought by any person against the discriminator or any other person under this Act; or
( c ) otherwise done anything under or by reference to this Act in relation to the discriminator or any other person; or
( d ) alleged that the discriminator or any other person has committed an act which (whether or not the allegation so states) would amount to a contravention of this Act,
or by reason that the discriminator knows that the person victimised intends to do any of those things, or suspects that the person victimised has done, or intends to do, any of them.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to treatment of a person by reason of any allegation made by him if the allegation was false and not made in good faith.
3 Meaning of ‘racial grounds’ ‘racial group’ etc.
(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—
‘racial grounds’ means any of the following grounds, namely colour, race, nationality or ethnic or national origins;
‘racial group’ means a group of persons defined by reference to colour, race, nationality or ethnic or national origins, and references to a person's racial group refer to any racial group into which he falls.
(2) The fact that a racial group comprises two or more distinct racial groups does not prevent it from constituting a particular racial group for the purposes of this Act.
(3) In this Act—
( a ) references to discrimination refer to any discrimination falling within section 1 or 2; and
( b ) references to racial discrimination refer to any discrimination falling within section 1,
and related expressions shall be construed accordingly.
(4) A comparison of the case of a person of a particular racial group with that of a person not of that group under section 1(1) must be such that the relevant circumstances in the one case are the same, or not materially different, in the other.
Part II
Discrimination in the Employment Field
Discrimination by employers
4 Discrimination against applicants and employees.
(1) It is unlawful for a person, in relation to employment by him at an establishment in Great Britain, to discriminate against another—
( a ) in the arrangements he makes for the purpose of determining who should be offered that employment; or
( b ) in the terms on which he offers him that employment: or
( c ) by refusing or deliberately omitting to offer him that employment.
(2) It is unlawful for a person, in the case of a person employed by him at an establishment in Great Britain, to discriminate against that employee—
( a ) in the terms of employment which he affords him; or
( b ) in the way he affords him access to opportunities for promotion, transfer or training, or to any other benefits. facilities or services, or by refusing or deliberately omitting to afford him access to them; or
( c ) by dismissing him, or subjecting him to any other detriment.
(3) Except in relation to discrimination falling within section 2, subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to employment for the purposes of a private household.
(4) Subsection (2) does not apply to benefits, facilities or services of any description if the employer is concerned with the provision (for payment or not) of benefits, facilities or services of that description to the public, or to a section of the public comprising the employee in question, unless—
( a ) that provision differs in a material respect from the provision of the benefits, facilities or services by the employer to his employees; or
( b ) the provision of the benefits, facilities or services to the employee in question is regulated by his contract of employment; or
( c ) the benefits, facilities or services relate to training.
5 Exceptions for genuine occupational qualifications.
(1) In relation to racial discrimination—
( a ) section 4(1)( a ) or ( c ) does not apply to any employment where being of a particular racial group is a genuine occupational qualification for the job; and
( b ) section 4(2)( b ) does not apply to opportunities for promotion or transfer to, or training for, such employment.
(2) Being of a particular racial group is a genuine occupational qualification for a job only where—
( a ) the job involves participation in a dramatic performance or other entertainment in a capacity for which a person of that racial group is required for reasons of authenticity; or
( b ) the job involves participation as an artist's or photographic model in the production of a work of art, visual image or sequence of visual images for which a person of that racial group is required for reasons of authenticity; or
( c ) the job involves working in a place where food or drink is (for payment or not) provided to and consumed by members of the public or a section of the public in a particular setting for which, in that job, a person of that racial group is required for reasons of authenticity; or
( d ) the holder of the job provides persons of that racial group with personal services promoting their welfare, and those services can most effectively be provided by a person of that racial group.
(3) Subsection (2) applies where some only of the duties of the job fall within paragraph ( a ), ( b ) ( c ) or ( d ) as well as where all of them do.
(4) Paragraph ( a ), ( b ), ( c ) or ( d ) of subsection (2) does not apply in relation to the filling of a vacancy at a time when the employer already has employees of the racial group in question—
( a ) who are capable of carrying out the duties falling within that paragraph; and
( b ) whom it would be reasonable to employ on those duties; and
( c ) whose numbers are sufficient to meet the employer's likely requirements in respect of those duties without undue inconvenience.
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