Celebration for passing of anti-discrimination law in Guernsey

Members of Guernsey Disability Alliance gathered to celebrate the new anti-discrimination legislation

Campaigners in Guernsey have celebrated the recent passing of new anti-discrimination legislation.

The new law was published earlier this year, making it illegal to discriminate on the grounds of race, disability and sexuality.

The legislation will officially come into effect on 1 October, 2023.

Under the law islanders are protected from discrimination based on religion, belief, race, sexual orientation, disability and carer status.

It is due to be phased in over six years.

Former Guernsey States deputy Michelle Le Clerc was the president of Employment and Social Security Committee for four years between 2016 and 2020, and was among those attending.

She played a key role in drafting the policy and legislation and said she was pleased to see an amendment defeated that would have made small businesses exempt.

Campaigners against the proposal to exempt small businesses gathered outside the States

She said: "I'm absolutely over the moon. I was absolutely overjoyed when amendment eight was defeated, and I think really from there, I felt confident that we were going to get this over the line.

"I was delighted when it was a majority decision."

Ms Le Clerc said despite the legislation being passed, the fight had "only just begun".

"Roll on the implementation date, and then of course there are the extra grounds of discrimination that will need to come back to the States, and I think particularly on the gender, well that will be an interesting debate, let's put it that way.

"It's not over, it's just begun", she said.

'Tinged with sadness'

Disability access consultant and equalities trainer Aindre Reece-Sheerin was one of those celebrating at the event on Tuesday.

He said: "This is slightly tinged with sadness because it took 15 years to get here.

"But we got there in the end and I think that's the thing that we're celebrating today, that we are actually there."

Mr Reece-Sheerin said the new law should be "both carrot and stick".

He said: "If someone is being discriminated against, we will have first obviously the tribunal, and then if that fails and we can't get a resolution, then it would go directly to court."

Follow BBC Guernsey on Twitter and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].