Professor Satvinder Juss contributes to Women & Equalities Select Committee Inquiry on Brexit

On 16 November 2016 Professor Satvinder Juss gave evidence to the Women & Equalities Select Committee Inquiry on Brexit in the House of Commons on the subject of "Ensuring Strong Equalities after EU Exit ". Also present on the panel were OxHRH Director, Professor Sandra Fredman, Dr Panos Kapotas (University of Portsmouth), and Karon Monaghan QC (Discrimination Law Association).

Professor Juss, who is on the approved list of barristers for Panel 'A' of the Equality & Human Rights Commission, (a body with statutory power to advise Government on the effectiveness of equalities and human rights law), gave evidence to the effect (i) that the UK is a world leader in the provision of equality and human rights protections to its citizens; (ii) that in the build-up to Brexit the UK Government should make an explicit commitment to being, and remaining the best in the world; (c) that this means that after we have left the EU we ensure that future rights enhancing laws emanating both from the EU and elsewhere are analysed with a view to their adoption here, so that we can not be left behind. Professor Juss suggested that what this means is that national government across all departments should both conduct Equality Impact Assessments of all laws and policies, as well as conduct Human Rights Impact Assessments of all laws and policies, of all proposed changes to ensure there is no regression on present rights and protections.

Professor Juss gave an example of 'atypical' workers , who are disproportionately from women and minority populations, who will be disproportionately affected if there is a real post-Brexit regression by the Government of the Part Time Workers Directive, the Fixed Term Directive and the Temporary Agency Work Directive. The Pregnant Workers Directive and The Working Time Directive are provisions currently implemented through the combination of the Equality Act 2010 and other specific regulations. Professor Juss suggested that the statute is at risk following an EU exit because the Government could theoretically repeal all its provisions, and yet the 2010 statute originated in domestic legislation, and even exceeds the requirements of EU law (e.g. in relation to Pubic Sector Equality Pay) which is why there should be a commitment to ensuring that there is no regression from existing protections at all.

A link to the video can be found here.

Professor Satvinder Juss academic profile.