EHRC: consultation following For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has opened a consultation on its code of practice for services, public functions and associations, to gather feedback on the changes that it has made to the code following the UK Supreme Court judgment on 16 April 2025 in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers:
“We acknowledge the importance of these changes to people with the protected characteristics of sex, sexual orientation and gender reassignment. Our role is to ensure everybody’s rights are protected in line with the law, so that no one experiences discrimination or harassment as a result of their protected characteristic when using services. We are committed to developing guidance that provides legal clarity and practical support for organisations following the Supreme Court judgment.”
The consultation is here. It closes on 30 June.
Reporting racially- and religiously-motivated hate crime
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published guidance on reporting racially- and religiously-motivated hate crime. In brief, call 999 to report a crime in progress or if someone is in immediate danger; otherwise;
- True Vision provides advice on hate crime, how to report it, and where to get support;
- Stop Hate records hate incidents and provide third party support for all victims of hate crime;
- Citizens Advice provides further information and guidance on reporting a hate crime or a hate incident to the police;
- On Your Side records and reports hate incidents directed against East or Southeast Asian individuals and provides support for anybody in the UK who identifies as part of an East or Southeast Asian community;
- Rakkha records and reports hate incidents directed against Sikh and South Asian individuals, and provides support for Sikh and South Asian victims of hate;
- Community Security Trust (CST) records and reports antisemitic hate incidents and provides support for victims of antisemitism; and
- Tell MAMA records and reports Islamophobic hate incidents and provides support for victims of anti-Muslim hate.
Memorialisation of Thomas Corker in Falmouth church (continued)
In October last year we reported that the Diocese of Truro was investigating the unauthorized installation of an additional brass plaque beneath the memorial to Thomas Corker, a 17th-century slave trader who was a parishioner at the Grade II* church of King Charles the Martyr, Falmouth. The original marble plaque and Latin eulogy to Corker are in a prominent position in the church, and have been the subject of extensive local and national consultations. The brass plaque was subsequently removed, although at the time of writing, it featured in a photograph on the TripAdvisor Falmouth page, which indicates that the Slave Trader Memorial is the second most popular historical site in Falmouth, Pendennis Castle being the first.
On Sunday 18 May 2025, churchgoers were faced with a 1.2m “blue plaque” which stated “Thomas Corker 1670 – 1700, slave trader memorialised here 1700-2025“. The external sign was swiftly removed and the incident was reported to the police. An anonymous spokesperson for the community group stated “[w]e installed the blue sign to coincide with the enthronement of the new Bishop of Truro – the Rt Revd David Williams, and to appeal to him to proactively address the harm the Falmouth Slave Trader Memorial continues to cause.” It appears as though this community group was also the instigator of the earlier brass plaque.
The diocese subsequently confirmed that the plaque had been taken down.
Progressive and Reform Jews to unite
On Sunday 18 May, the member communities of the Movement for Reform Judaism and Liberal Judaism voted to unite into one Progressive Judaism for the UK. The decision was made at two parallel Extraordinary General Meetings, with the number of votes in favour at each exceeding the 75% threshold required for unification. The two movements described this “a landmark moment in British Jewish history and the beginning of a new chapter – one rooted in shared values, diverse voices and a deep commitment to inclusion and equality”. Jewish News reports on it here.
Charity Annual Return 2025: question guide
On Thursday, the Charity Commission published its question guide for trustees preparing their 2025 Annual Return.
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