26 January 2017

Arbitration and Mediation Services (Equality) Bill receives its second reading on 27 January 2017 - Bill seeks to enhance Muslim women’s rights

The Arbitration and Mediation Services (Equality) Bill received its second reading on 27 January 2017 and has been committed to Committee of the whole house on a date to be announced.

The Bill is a private member's bill introduced by Baroness Cox and received its first reading in the House of Lords on 25 May 2016.

The Arbitration and Mediation Services (Equality) Bill would make provisions regarding the application of equalities legislation to arbitration and mediation services. It seeks to prevent providers of arbitration services from doing anything that constitutes discrimination, harassment or victimisation on the grounds of sex.

It would do so by inserting a new subsection into the Equalities Act 2010 and into the Arbitration Act 1996. It would also provide clarification that discrimination includes, but is not restricted to, treating evidence from men as being of greater value than that of women, or vice versa. [Family Law Week] Read more