The claimants had been brought here illegally to act as servants for the defendants. They were taken advantage of and abused. They made several claims, but now appealed against rejection of their claims for discrimination. The court was asked whether discrimination because of, or on grounds of, immigration status amounts to discrimination because of, or on grounds of, nationality. The subsidiary question is whether the employers’ conduct amounted to indirect discrimination against persons who shared that nationality.
Held: The appeals failed: ‘This is not because these appellants do not deserve a remedy for all the grievous harms they have suffered. It is because the present law, although it can redress some of those harms, cannot redress them all. Parliament may well wish to address its mind to whether the remedy provided by section 8 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 is too restrictive in its scope and whether an employment tribunal should have jurisdiction to grant some recompense for the ill-treatment meted out to workers such as these, along with the other remedies which it does have power to grant.’
The reasons for the abuse they suffered related to the immigration vulnerability as migrant workers, and not to their race.
Lady Hale, Deputy President, Lord Wilson, Lord Reed, Lord Hughes, Lord Toulson
[2016] UKSC 31, [2016] WLR(D) 319, [2016] IRLR 719, [2016] 1 WLR 2653, [2016] ICR 756, UKSC 2014/0105
Bailii, Bailii Summary, WLRD, SC, SC Summary
Equality Act 2010 13(1), Modern Slavery Act 2015
England and Wales
Citing:
At EAT – Akwiwu and Another v Onu EAT 1-May-2013
EAT Race Discrimination : Direct
Indirect
Post Employment
UNLAWFUL DEDUCTION FROM WAGES
NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE
WORKING TIME REGULATIONS
The Claimant was a Nigerian woman who had . .
At CA – Onu v Akwiwu and Another CA 13-Mar-2014
Two claimants, Nigerian women, came illegally to work as domestics. They suffered severe abuse by their employers. Whilst each received substantial awards, they appealed now from rejection of their claims for discrimination based upon the advantage . .
Cited – Morris, Regina (on the Application of) v Westminster City Council and Another Admn 7-Oct-2004
The applicant questioned the compatibility of s185 of the 1996 Act with Human Rights law. The family sought emergency housing. The child of the family, found to be in priority housing need, was subject also to immigration control. Though the matter . .
Cited – Attorney General’s Reference (No 4 of 2004) CACD 22-Apr-2005
The defendant was accused of having racially abused the complainant by referring to him as an ‘immigrant doctor’ before the assault. The trial judge had held that the word ‘immigrant’ was so wide in its possible application as not to be capable of . .
Cited – Rogers, Regina v HL 28-Feb-2007
The House was asked whether the use of the phrases ‘bloody foreigners’ and ‘get back to your own country’ counted to make a disturbance created by the defendant a racially aggravated crime.
Held: (Baroness Hale of Richmond) ‘The mischiefs . .
Cited – Schnorbus v Land Hessen ECJ 7-Dec-2000
ECJ Equal treatment for men and women – Rules on access to practical legal training in Land Hesse – Priority for applicants who have completed military or civilian service
Jacobs AG said: ‘The discrimination . .
Cited – Rogers, Regina v HL 28-Feb-2007
The House was asked whether the use of the phrases ‘bloody foreigners’ and ‘get back to your own country’ counted to make a disturbance created by the defendant a racially aggravated crime.
Held: (Baroness Hale of Richmond) ‘The mischiefs . .
Cited – Bressol and Others, Chaverot and Others v Gouvernement de la Communaute francaise ECJ 13-Apr-2010
ECJ Citizenship of the Union Articles 18 and 21 TFEU Directive 2004/38/EC Article 24(1) Freedom to reside Principle of non-discrimination Access to higher education Nationals of a Member State moving to another . .
Cited – Patmalniece v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions SC 16-Mar-2011
The claimant challenged as incompatible with EU law, the Regulations which restricted the entitlement to state pension credit to those entitled to reside in the UK.
Held: The appeal failed (Majority). The conditions imposed by the Regulations . .
Cited – Bull and Another v Hall and Another SC 27-Nov-2013
The court was asked ‘Is it lawful for a Christian hotel keeper, who sincerely believes that sexual relations outside marriage are sinful, to refuse a double-bedded room to a same sex couple?’ The defendants (Mr and Mrs Bull) appealed against a . .
Cited – Hounga v Allen and Another SC 30-Jul-2014
The appellant, of Nigerian origin had been brought here at the age of 14 with false identity papers, and was put to work caring for the respondent’s children. In 2008 she was dismissed and ejected from the house. She brought proceedings alleging . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Employment, Discrimination, Torts – Other
Updated: 18 January 2022; Ref: scu.565832