Equality and Human Rights Commission
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is the independent regulator for equality and human rights in Great Britain. The commission was established under the Equality Act 2006 and began operating in 2007. It oversees compliance with equality legislation in England, Scotland and Wales.
What you can find
The website contains statutory codes of practice, guidance for employers and service providers, research reports and information on enforcement.
Why it is on this list
Following the UK Supreme Court’s judgment in the For Women Scotland case (April 2025), the EHRC published interim guidance on single-sex facilities. That text was removed from the website again in October 2025. The revised code of practice for services, public functions and associations was submitted to Parliament in May 2026. See the article on the British code of practice for women’s spaces, which has been in effect since August 2026. The commission’s position is controversial among trans organisations. See also legal matters.
Origins and governance
The EHRC began operating on 1 October 2007 as a merger of three former bodies: the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission. Northern Ireland is outside its remit. The commission is an independent public body sponsored by the Cabinet Office. Its chairs have been Trevor Phillips (2007–2012), Onora O'Neill, David Isaac and, from 2020 to 2025, Kishwer Falkner. Mary-Ann Stephenson has been chair since December 2025. According to the 2025–26 annual report, its budget was £17.16 million and it had an average of 186 full-time positions, compared with 193 the previous year. In 2017, the UK National Audit Office found that the budget had shrunk by 70 per cent since 2007.
Powers and investigations
The commission can launch investigations where unlawful discrimination is suspected, issue compliance notices to public authorities, seek judicial review and intervene in legal proceedings. Notable examples include the report on antisemitism in the Labour Party from October 2020, the report on the Windrush scandal from November 2020 and a 2016 report on discrimination within the London police force.
Position on sex and gender
In 2022, the EHRC wrote to the Scottish Government about the reform of the Gender Recognition Act. In 2023, it advised the UK Government that defining sex as biological sex in the Equality Act would provide greater legal clarity. In February 2022, whistleblowers reported an anti-LGBT culture within the organisation. The global network of national human rights institutions, GANHRI, conducted a special review and maintained its A status in April 2024. The case that brought about the recent shift can be found in the Supreme Court judgment and at For Women Scotland.