Equality and Diversity - Building a Culture of ... - Equality Authority

Lessons 26
Making a Complaint
Learning Intentions:
That students will learn how
someone can make a complaint
in case of discrimination
That students will learn
from actual cases how
discrimination can take place
and what redress is available
Resources
Access to the Internet for the
video clips on how to make a
complaint
Copies of the Case studies
for your jurisdiction printed
off from the accompanying
DVD. You will need 5/6 copies
of each case (see activity
instructions)
If someone feels that they have been discriminated against
because of their membership of one of the groups protected
under the legislation, they can make a complaint against the
employer or service provider concerned.
For Northern Ireland, information is available on the
Equality Commission website at http://www.equalityni.
org/sections/default.asp?cms=Your%20Rights_
Taking%20a%20discrimination%20case%20-%20a%20
guide&cmsid=2_688&id=688&secid=2
For Ireland, information is available on the Equality Tribunal
website in the form of a video at http://www.equalitytribunal.
ie/About-Us/Video/ Information is also available on the Equality
Authority website at www.equality.ie/
The case studies on the accompanying DVD illustrate some
of the ways in which various people have been discriminated
against and have successfully taken cases under the equality
and anti-discrimination legislation. There are five cases for
each jurisdiction.
Activity
Show the students the video clip relevant to your jurisdiction
and check that they broadly understand the process and the
options available to people who have a complaint. Then divide
the students into five groups and give each group copies of one
of the Case Studies.
Ask them to discuss the cases and agree what their decision
would be if they were making a decision on them. Then ask
each group to briefly describe their case to the class and
say what they have decided. Then either read out or give
each group the actual decision that was made. Where this
differed from the students’ decision, the class could discuss
the differences and the probable reasons for them. They may
wish to look up further details of certain cases on the relevant
websites as a homework activity.
Conclude the lesson with a walking debate on whether they
believe the legislation is effective in protecting people from
discrimination or not.
100 sECTION 4 Equality and the Law