Mary-Ann Stephenson confirmed as EHRC chair regardless of MPs’ objections

Mary-Ann Stephenson has been confirmed as the brand new chair of the equalities watchdog, after the federal government overruled the objections of parliament’s equalities committee over her suitability for the job.

Stephenson, the chair of the Girls’s Price range Group, will tackle the position on the Equality and Human Rights Fee (EHRC) in December. It contains accountability for implementing steerage about transgender rights after the supreme courtroom judgment on the definition of a girl.

The ladies and equalities committee and the joint committee on human rights had collectively raised objections in regards to the appointment, saying her expertise was not ample within the space of protected traits reminiscent of race and incapacity.

The committees, chaired by Sarah Owen and David Alton, had written to the equalities minister Bridget Phillipson saying: “It is clear that Dr Stephenson has extensive academic credibility in the field of women’s rights and has an important contribution to make to public life.

“However, it is with regret that we do not feel we can endorse her appointment to the role at this time. Our reasons relate to our concerns about vision and leadership, about breadth of expertise across the wide remit of the EHRC, and about rebuilding trust.”

Stephenson was introduced because the UK authorities’s most well-liked candidate in June and gave proof earlier than the committees in July.

Following her appointment, Stephenson stated it was a “great honour to be appointed as the new chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission at such a critical time”.

“I have spent over 30 years building my career across the equality and human rights sector and I am delighted to have the opportunity to bring my insight and experience to lead the EHRC with compassion, honesty and dedication,” she stated.

“I look forward to working with the government and all stakeholders alongside my new colleagues at the EHRC to uphold equality and human rights and ensure that everyone is treated with respect and dignity.”

Stephenson will exchange Kishwer Falkner within the job of chair. The EHRC is drawing up an up to date code of observe on how public our bodies ought to react to April’s courtroom resolution that “woman” within the Equality Act refers solely to a organic lady.

It’s supposed to got down to companies and people operating public areas how the ruling impacts single-sex areas reminiscent of bathrooms and altering rooms, constructing on preliminary recommendation issued quickly after the ruling.

The steerage will try to navigate a path for the way organisations can present single-sex and gender-neutral areas reminiscent of bathrooms, altering rooms and associations.

In April, the EHRC launched interim, non-statutory recommendation about interpret the ruling, which set out that transgender folks shouldn’t be allowed to make use of bathrooms of the gender they stay as. There are actually makes an attempt at a judicial overview of the EHRC steerage by the Good Regulation Challenge and others.