AQO 3574/22-27

Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 07/05/2026
Answered On Date: 18/05/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities whether he is considering amendments to the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 to align with the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023.

Answer:

The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 re-introduced provisions around third-party harassment into the Equality Act 2010, which had been repealed in the rest of the UK in 2013 but had not been repealed here. It could be said, therefore, that since 2013 the provisions around third-party harassment have been stronger in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the UK.

For this reason, there is no need to make amendments to the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 to align with the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023. My officials will, of course, continue to monitor legislation in GB to ensure the protections offered in Northern Ireland are informed by developments elsewhere.