Overview

Discrimination by private businesses, companies and individuals on any of the illegal grounds like race and sexual orientation is illegal only if it happens in one of the key areas of public life specifically covered by the anti-discrimination laws. In this section, we summarise those key areas of life, which include employment and renting a home.

Discrimination by government bodies and officials on any of the illegal grounds is also illegal when you’re dealing with them and their services: see below, “Government bodies, public services, and schools”.

To find out about other areas of public life that are covered by the anti-discrimination laws but not discussed in this chapter (like getting trade or professional qualifications), you can go to the Human Rights Commission website (see “Where to go for more support” at the end of this chapter), or read the Human Rights Act 1993.

In general, the anti-discrimination laws don’t cover interactions between people in their private relationships – for example, if your friends start to treat you badly because of a ground that’s illegal in public life, like your sexual orientation.