Castes: Discrimination

(asked on 10th December 2025) - View Source

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will amend the Equality Act 2010 to improve legal protection for victims of caste discrimination.


Answered by
Seema Malhotra Portrait
Seema Malhotra
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 22nd December 2025

No one should suffer prejudice or discrimination on any grounds, including any perception of their caste.

The judgment of the Employment Appeal Tribunal in Tirkey v. Chandhok shows that someone claiming caste discrimination may rely on existing statutory remedies in the Equality Act 2010 where they can show that their ‘caste’ is related to their ethnic origin, which is itself an aspect of 'race' under the 2010 Act.

The government is considering whether these existing remedies offer appropriate legal protection for victims of caste discrimination.

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