# Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (repealed) 1975 c. 65 · enacted 12 November 1975 · revised to 5 April 2011 An Act to render unlawful certain kinds of sex discrimination and discrimination on the ground of marriage, and establish a Commission with the function of working towards the elimination of such discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity between men and women generally; and for related purposes. PDFs: Printed copy https://openlegislation.uk/sex-discrimination-act-1975-repealed/pdf/ukpga_19750065_en.pdf ## Introductory text An Act to render unlawful certain kinds of sex discrimination and discrimination on the ground of marriage, and establish a Commission with the function of working towards the elimination of such discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity between men and women generally; and for related purposes. ## Part I: Discrimination to Which Act Applies ## 1 Direct and indirect discrimination against women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 2 Sex discrimination against men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 2A “Discrimination on the grounds of gender reassignment.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 3 Discrimination against married persons and civil partners in employment field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 3A Discrimination on the ground of pregnancy or maternity leave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 3B Discrimination on the ground of pregnancy or maternity: goods, facilities, services or premises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 4 Discrimination by way of victimisation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 4A Harassment, including sexual harassment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 5 Interpretation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Part II: EMPLOYMENT FIELD ### Discrimination by employers ## 6 . . . applicants and employees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 6A Exception relating to terms and conditions during maternity leave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 7 Exception where sex is a genuine occupational qualification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 7A “Corresponding exception relating to gender reassignment.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 7B “Supplementary exceptions relating to gender reassignment.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 8 Equal Pay Act 1970. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 9 . . . contract workers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 10 Meaning of employment at establishment in Great Britain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Discrimination against office-holders etc. ## 10A Offices and posts to which section 10B applies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 10B Office-holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Discrimination by other bodies ## 11 Partnerships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 12 Trade unions etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 13 Qualifying bodies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 14 Persons concerned with provision of vocational training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 15 Employment agencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 16 Manpower Services Commission etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Special case ## 17 Police. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 18 Prison officers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 19 Ministers of religion etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 20 Midwives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Relationships which have come to an end ## 20A Relationships which have come to an end . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 21 Mineworkers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 21A Public authorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Part III: Discrimination in Other Fields ### Education ## 22 . . . Bodies in charge of educational establishments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 22A Meaning of pupil in section 22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 23 Other discrimination by local education authorities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 23A Discrimination by further and higher education funding bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 23B Discrimination by Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Councils. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 23BA Discrimination by Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 23C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 23D Discrimination by Training and Development Agency for Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 24 Designated establishments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 25 General duty in public sector of education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 25A General duty: post-16 education and training etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 26 Exception for single-sex establishments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 27 Exception for single-sex establishments turning co-educational. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 28 Exception for physical training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Goods, facilities, services and premises ## 29 Discrimination in provision of goods, facilities or services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 30 Discrimination in disposal or management of premises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 31 Discrimination: consent for assignment or sub-letting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 32 Exception for small dwellings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 33 Exception for political parties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 34 Exception for voluntary bodies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 35 Further exceptions from ss. 29(1) and 30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 35ZA Excluded matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Barristers ## 35A . . . Barristers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Advocates ## 35B . . . Advocates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Relationships which have come to an end ## 35C Relationships which have come to an end . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Extent ## 36 Extent of Part III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Part IV: Other Unlawful Acts ## 37 Discriminatory practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 38 Discriminatory advertisements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 39 Instructions to discriminate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 40 Pressure to discriminate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 41 Liability of employers and principals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 42 Aiding unlawful acts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Part V: General Exceptions from Parts II to IV ## 42A Selection of candidates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 43 Charities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Sport et ceteralaetc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 45 Insurance etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 46 Communal accommodation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 47 Discriminatory training by certain bodies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 48 Other discriminatory training etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 49 Trade unions etc.: elective bodies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 50 Indirect access to benefits etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 51 Acts done for purposes of protection of women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 51A Acts done under statutory authority to be exempt from certain provisions of Part III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 52 Acts safeguarding national security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 52A Construction of references to vocational training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Part VI: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 53 Establishment and duties of Commission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 54 Research and education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 55 Review of discriminatory provisions in health and safety legislation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 56 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Codes of practice ## 56A Codes of practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Investigations ## 57 Power to conduct formal investigations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 58 Terms of reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 59 Power to obtain information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 60 Recommendations and reports on formal investigations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 61 Restriction on disclosure of information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Part VII: Enforcement ### General ## 62 Restriction of proceedings for breach of Act. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Enforcement in employment field ## 63 Jurisdiction of employment tribunals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 63A Burden of proof: employment tribunals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 65 Remedies on complaint under section 63. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Enforcement of Part III ## 66 Claims under Part III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 66A Burden of proof: county and sheriff courts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 66B National security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Non-discrimination notices ## 67 Issue of non-discrimination notice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 68 Appeal against non-discrimination notice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 69 Investigation as to compliance with non-discrimination notice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 70 Register of non-discrimination notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Other enforcement by Commission ## 71 Persistent discrimination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 72 Enforcement of ss. 38 to 40. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 73 Preliminary action in employment cases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Help for persons suffering discrimination ## 74 Help for aggrieved persons in obtaining information etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 75 Assistance by Commission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Period within which proceedings to be brought ## 76 Period within which proceedings to be brought. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Part VIII: Supplemental ## 76A Public authorities: general statutory duty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 76B Specific duties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 76C Specific duties: Scotland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 76D Specific duties: enforcement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 76E Codes of practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 77 Validity and revision of contracts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 78 Educational charities in England and Wales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 79 Educational endowments etc. to which Part VI of the Education (Scotland) Act 1962 applies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 80 Power to amend certain provisions of Act. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 81 Orders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 82 General interpretation provisions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 83 Transitional and commencement provisions, amendments and repeals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 84 Financial provisions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 85 Application to Crown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 85A Application to House of Commons staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 85B Application to House of Lords staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 86 Government appointments outside section 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 87 Short title and extent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Schedule 1: EQUAL PAY ACT 1970 ### Part I: AMENDMENTS OF ACT ## 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Part II: ACT AS AMENDED ### 1970 CHAPTER 41 ## 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 2 Disputes as to, and enforcement of, requirement of equal treatment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 3 Collective agreements and pay structures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 4 Wages regulation orders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 5 Agricultural wages orders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 6 Exclusion from ss. 1 to 5 of pensions etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 7 Service pay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 9 Commencement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 10 Preliminary references to Industrial Arbitration Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 11 Short title, interpretation and extent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Schedule 2: Transitional Exemption Orders for Educational Admissions ### Public sector (England and Wales) ## 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 4A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Private sector (England and Wales) ## 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Public and private sectors (Scotland) ## 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Incorporation and status ## 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Tenure of office of Commissioners ## 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Tenure of office of chairman and deputy chairmen ## 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Remuneration of Commissioners ## 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Additional Commissioners ## 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Staff ## 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Proceedings and business ## 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Finance ## 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Disqualification Acts ## 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Schedule 4: Transitional Provisions ## 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Schedule 5: MINOR AND CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS ### Factories Act 1961 (c. 34) ## 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Schedule 6 FURTHER REPEALS --- Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1975/65 (the official version) Page: https://openlegislation.uk/sex-discrimination-act-1975-repealed Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.