{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/equality-act-2010-obtaining-information-order-2010/note",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/equality-act-2010-obtaining-information-order-2010/note.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2010/2194",
  "legislation_title": "The Equality Act 2010 (Obtaining Information) Order 2010",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/equality-act-2010-obtaining-information-order-2010",
  "path": "note",
  "kind": "note",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Explanatory note",
  "text": "(This note is not part of the Order)\nThis Order prescribes forms on which a person who thinks that he or she may have been the subject of a contravention of the Equality Act 2010 (“the Act”), including the breach of an equality clause or rule, (P), may ask questions of a person who he or she thinks was responsible for the contravention or breach (R) and also prescribes forms on which R may reply.\nArticle 2 of this Order prescribes forms for obtaining information about contraventions of the Act other than breaches of the provisions on equality of terms. P may use the questions form in Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Order and R may use the answers form in Part 2 of that Schedule or P or R may use different forms with the same purpose.\nArticle 3 prescribes forms for obtaining information about breaches of the equality of terms provisions of the Act. P may use the questions form in Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Order and R may use the answers form in Part 2 of that Schedule or P or R may use different forms with the same purpose.\nArticle 4 provides that for any question or answer to be admissible as evidence in proceedings under the Act, P must serve the questions either before the proceedings are commenced or within 28 days of commencement of proceedings or, if later, within a period specified by the court or tribunal.\nArticle 5 sets out the manner in which questions and answers may be served, including by delivery in person, by post or by electronic means such as fax or email.\nArticle 6 specifies that where R reasonably asserts that a refusal to answer or an unhelpful answer is due to the purpose of safeguarding national security, then a court or tribunal must not draw an inference from the answer or lack of an answer.\nThis Order is one of a series of instruments that implement the Act. A full impact assessment of the effect that the Act will have on the costs to business and the voluntary sector is available at the Government Equalities Office website at www.equalities.gov.uk. A separate impact assessment has not been produced for this Order.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2194/note",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T02:32:03.997234+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}