HomeThe Race Relations Amendment 2000
The Race Relations Act was amended to provide public authorities with the legitimate means of implementing the recommendations that arose out of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report. Before the Act was amended local authorities had a duty to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination, promote equality of opportunity for all racial groups and, promote good relations between people of different racial groups. The amendment to the Race Relations Act placed this statutory duty on all public authorities.
The Act also gave government ministers the right to impose specific duties on certain public organisations. These duties currently include the responsibility to regularly publish and review a race equality scheme. The race equality scheme is an action plan to bring about racial equality in the outcome of services that are provided. To support the race equality scheme public authorities are expected to conduct equality impact assessments of all of their relevant policies and procedures. The best means of carrying out equality impact assessments requires real and meaningful consultation with members of those racial groups that are likely to be adversely affected by the existing service.
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