Armed Forces (Prevention of Discrimination) Bill (HC Bill 71)
A
BILL
TO
Provide that certain offences committed towards members of the armed forces
shall be treated as aggravated; to prohibit discrimination against individuals
in terms of provision of goods and services on the grounds that they are
members of the armed forces; and for connected purposes.
Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present
Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
1 Amendment of Criminal Justice Act 2003
In section 146 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (increase in sentences for
aggravation related to disability or sexual orientation, sexual orientation or
transgender identity)—
(a) 5in the title of the section, add at the end “or status as a service person“;
(b) after subsection (2)(a)(iii) insert “or—
(iv) the victim being, or being presumed to be, a service person.“;
(c) after subsection (2)(b)(iii) insert “or—
(iv) by hostility towards service people.“; and
(d) 10after subsection (6) insert—
“(7)
In this section “service person” has the meaning given in section
343B of the Armed Forces Act 2006, except that “relevant family
member” shall mean any relative.”.
2
Prohibition of discrimination against members of the armed forces in
15provision of goods and services
(1) The Equality Act 2010 is amended as follows.
(2)
At the end of section 4 are added the words “status as a member or former
member of the armed forces/service person or former service person.”
Armed Forces (Prevention of Discrimination) BillPage 2
3 Short title, commencement and extent
(1)
This Act may be cited as the Armed Forces (Prevention of Discrimination) Act
2014.
(2)
This Act comes into force at the expiration of two months, beginning with the
5date of Royal Assent.