Protected characteristics

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The Equality Act 2010 (EqA 2010) provides protection against discrimination and other prohibited conduct relating to certain listed characteristics which people may possess. Some protections relate specifically to only one of those characteristics.

This topic provides information on the characteristics that are protected under EqA 2010, s 4. It also considers trans and other gender issues.

Age

EqA 2010, s 5 provides that, in relation to the protected characteristic of age:

  1. •

    any reference in EqA 2010 to a person who has a particular protected characteristic means a person of a particular age group

  2. •

    a reference to persons who share a protected characteristic means persons of the same age group

  3. •

    a reference to an age group means a group of persons:

    1. ◦

      who are all of a particular age

    2. ◦

      who all fall within a particular range of ages

While the most common forms of age discrimination will typically adversely affect those who are older, the protection applies in relation to inequality of treatment with regard to any age. Hence the possibility of discrimination against the young should

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