New Guernsey anti-discrimination law published

Members of disability and equality campaign groups joined together in 2020 to show their support for new anti-discrimination laws

A new anti-discrimination law has been published which will make it illegal to discriminate on the grounds of race, disability and sexuality.

Employment & Social Security Committee Vice President Lindsay De Sausmarez said Guernsey was an "outlier" in not having this kind of law before now.

She said getting to this point had been a "lengthy process" but most businesses welcomed the planned changes.

The law will come into effect on 1 October 2023.

Speaking to BBC Radio Guernsey, Ms De Sausmarez said: "I've had stories from people who have been denied services on the grounds of their sexuality.

"It's really surprising to hear stories about that in this day and age.

"I'm fairly confident these incidents are relatively few, compared to the vast majority of businesses who do not discriminate in such a way."

'Level playing field'

Ms De Sausmarez said most businesses welcomed the law.

She said: "Most businesses ... say it's about time Guernsey was on a level playing field with other places.

"We don't want to get a reputation for Guernsey being a backwater in this way."

Ahead of the law coming into place, Guernsey States said it was encouraging employers and service providers to book on to free training sessions.

The sessions will run between October 2022 and March 2023.

The States said the aim of the training was to inform employers, businesses, landlords, education providers and clubs and associations about the new rights and protections afforded by the new legislation, and their responsibilities under it.

The States said it believed no-one should be treated unfairly because of their race, disability, carer status, sexual orientation or religious belief.

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