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Difficulty: Very hardFreedom from Unfair Discrimination

The Equality Act 2010 provides a legal framework to protect individuals from unfair treatment in various areas of public life, including the workplace and the provision of services. Which of the following scenarios describes an action that is strictly illegal under the 'protected characteristics' defined specifically by this Act?

  1. A landlord refusing to rent a property to a couple because they are in a registered civil partnership.Answer
  2. B
    An employer choosing not to interview a candidate because they belong to a political party whose views the employer dislikes.
  3. C
    A shop owner asking a customer to leave because the customer lives in a different county and the owner prefers to serve only local residents.
  4. D
    A manager declining a promotion because the employee has a history of active involvement in trade union activities.

Answer

The scenario where a landlord refuses to rent a property to a couple because they are in a registered civil partnership is the correct answer.
The correct answer identifies discrimination based on 'marriage and civil partnership,' which is one of the nine protected characteristics explicitly defined by the Equality Act 2010. The Act makes it illegal to treat someone unfairly because of this status in settings such as housing and the workplace.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the nine protected characteristics listed in the Equality Act 2010.
The characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
This establishes the legal scope of the Act.
2
Examine the provided scenarios to see which one involves one of these nine characteristics.
The scenario involving 'civil partnership' matches the 'marriage and civil partnership' characteristic.
This narrows down the options to the legally protected group.
3
Verify if the setting of the discrimination (housing/renting) is covered by the Act.
The Equality Act 2010 explicitly covers housing, the workplace, education, and service provision.
This confirms that the specific action in the scenario is prohibited by the Act.

Key Concept

The Equality Act 2010 protects individuals from discrimination based on nine specific 'protected characteristics' in key areas such as employment and housing.

Practice More

Review the full list of nine protected characteristics to ensure you can distinguish them from other social or professional traits.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Freedom from Unfair Discrimination

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