Britain in danger of becoming “world embarrassment” where only the wealthy get justice, warns human rights watchdog

Formidable new powers to enforce equality legislation are needed to prevent Britain returning to the rigid class inequalities of the 1930s, David Isaac, the chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission has said.

Speaking to The Guardian, Isaac called for the commission to be given powers to carry out inspections and punish offenders, warning that without action Britain will slip from “world leader to world embarrassment.” He also pointed out that cuts to legal aid and the (since ruled to be unlawful) imposition of high costs for employment tribunal fees have severely damaged the country’s reputation as a world leader in justice. In particular, legal aid cuts mean that for those unable to afford a lawyer, legal representation is no longer available for family, housing, debt, welfare benefit, employment and clinical negligence cases.

Writing in a blog posted on the Equality and Human Rights Commission website, Isaac said: “We already have strong legal powers and make the very best use of them. However, the governments and large organisations that we are required to hold to account are also powerful and well-resourced. To tackle those who break the law, I believe we would be even more effective with additional powers. We want to be able to demand information from organisations we suspect are acting unlawfully, without first having to initiate a formal investigation. We also want the power to enter and inspect premises where disability access requirements are being ignored and to carry out ‘mystery shopping’ to make sure business are complying with the law in a swift, light touch and relatively inexpensive way. To drive real change we should be able to issue enforcement notices or impose a civil sanction, for example where large organisations fail to publish their gender pay gap. The tragedy at Grenfell was a wake-up call that, even though we find it hard to acknowledge, the least well off do not receive the same level of support in our society.”