The two new sets of discrimination rights, sexual orientation and religion or belief, which are already with us, and the third, age, due by the end of 2006, present the government with a problem. Should it add three new commissions to the current Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), Commission for Racial Equality and Disability Rights Commission (DRC)? Should it try to squeeze the new laws into the existing three structures? Or should it come up with a more radical alternative?
The three commissions, each established by statute, are independent public bodies funded by and answerable to the Government. They each have a campaigning, educational and enforcement brief in relation to their specialisms. Their work involves raising public awareness, pushing for changes in the law, giving legal advice and information to individuals, employers and others, and undertaking and publishing relevant research and statistics. They also have some legal investigatory and enforcement powers and, although they do not have the resources to investigate and back every claim made, they will fund claimants to take landmark cases through the courts.
