What is discrimination litigation?
Discrimination can occur to anyone in almost any situation, but the Equality Act 2010 specifically protects you from unjust or prejudicial treatment because of your race, disability, gender, sexuality, maternity or pregnancy, religion or belief, marital status or age.
Discrimination litigation is the action you can take to resolve the issue through the court. Some discrimination cases can be addressed without the need for litigation, but it is important to discuss the particulars of your case with a legal professional before taking action, to make sure you're making the right decisions for you.
You can also be discriminated against if you don't fit into the above categories but you are associated with someone who does. For example, if you are a carer of someone who is discriminated against because of their age, or if you support someone else’s claim of discrimination, then the law will also protect you from discrimination.
Discrimination can take a number of different forms. For example, discrimination in the workplace. Or if you're at university and you don't get invited to an educational event on the basis of your religion, then you may have a case for direct discrimination.
Indirect discrimination is different in that it occurs when a rule or regulation has been put in place that puts you at a disadvantage.
Other forms include harassment, which is unwanted behaviour based on a protected characteristic that violates your dignity or creates an environment that is offensive to you because of that characteristic. An example of this might be someone in your workplace making a sexist or racist joke.
The law also protects you against discrimination because you have complained about any of the above. This is known as victimisation.
