Explanatory Notes

Equality Act 2010

2010 CHAPTER 15

8 April 2010

Commentary on Sections

Part 2: Equality: Key Concepts

Chapter 2: Prohibited conduct
Section 15: Discrimination arising from disability
Background

70.This section is a new provision. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 provided protection from disability-related discrimination but, following the judgment of the House of Lords in the case of London Borough of Lewisham v Malcolm [2008] UKHL 43, those provisions no longer provided the degree of protection from disability-related discrimination that is intended for disabled people. This section is aimed at re-establishing an appropriate balance between enabling a disabled person to make out a case of experiencing a detriment which arises because of his or her disability, and providing an opportunity for an employer or other person to defend the treatment.