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Equality Bill [HL]

My Lords, for every right there is a correlative duty. A legal right does not mean anything unless someone has a duty in respect of that right. If I have a right to non-discrimination in employment, my employer has a duty not to discriminate against me as his worker or employee. This amendment relates to Clause 8(1)(d) which comes under the equality enactments. When it says,"““ promote awareness and understanding of rights””," it necessarily means that, without the need for any further language at all, the commission will be promoting awareness and understanding both of the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers, both of the rights of tenants and the responsibilities of landlords, both of the rights of pupils or students, and so on. This is not controversial, politically or otherwise; it is simply unnecessary because it is necessarily there within what the commission has to do.