{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/equality-act-2010/section-136",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/equality-act-2010/section-136.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2010/15",
  "legislation_title": "Equality Act 2010",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/equality-act-2010",
  "path": "section/136",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "136",
  "heading": "Burden of proof",
  "text": "(1) This section applies to any proceedings relating to a contravention of this Act.\n(2) If there are facts from which the court could decide, in the absence of any other explanation, that a person (A) contravened the provision concerned, the court must hold that the contravention occurred.\n(3) But subsection (2) does not apply if A shows that A did not contravene the provision.\n(4) The reference to a contravention of this Act includes a reference to a breach of an equality clause or rule.\n(5) This section does not apply to proceedings for an offence under this Act.\n(6) A reference to the court includes a reference to—\n(a) an employment tribunal;\n(b) the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal;\n(c) the Special Immigration Appeals Commission;\n(d) the First-tier Tribunal;\n(e) the Education Tribunal for Wales;\n(f) the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland Health and Education Chamber .",
  "extent": "E+W+S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 136(6)(e) substituted (E.W.) (1.9.2021) by Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (anaw 2), s. 100(3), Sch. 1 para. 19(3); S.I. 2021/373, art. 8(j)(xxxiii)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 136(6)(f) substituted (S.) (12.1.2018) by The First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Transfer of Functions of the Additional Support Needs Tribunals for Scotland) Regulations 2018 (S.S.I. 2018/4), reg. 1(1), sch. 2 para. 4(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 136 wholly in force; s. 136 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 216; s. 136(1)-(5)(6)(a)-(e) in force at 1.10.2010 by S.I. 2010/2317, art. 2(1)(9)(g) (with art. 15, and subject to transitional provision in art. 7); s. 136(6)(f) in force at 18.3.2011 by S.I. 2010/2317, art. 3(c) (with art. 15, and subject to transitional provision in art. 7)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/136",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T17:03:45.890819+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "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."
  }
}