Explains the law that protects you from discrimination by organisations or people that provide goods, facilities or services. Explains what you can do if you have been discriminated against and where you can get support and advice.
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Sometimes people are offered a worse service because of their mental health condition. This is called discrimination and, if you experience it when you use services or public functions, you may have a legal right to challenge it.
There are many situations in which you may feel treated unfairly because of your disability, but the law only covers these types of discrimination:
In the UK, law that protects you from discrimination is called the Equality Act.
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This means an act or activity taken by a public authority which is not a service. A public authority carries out a public function when it performs its particular legal duties and powers. Examples of public functions are licensing, planning and enforcement of parking.
Public authorities can get private companies or voluntary organisations to carry out their public functions. So for example, a private company that run prisons and takes prisoners into custody would be considered a private company carrying out a public function.
Visit our full listing of Legal TermsThis information was published in February 2018.
This page is currently under review. All content was accurate when published.
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