Following an employment tribunal, Matthew Furlong, whose father is a serving detective inspector in Cheshire Constabulary, has won his claim of race, sex and sexual orientation discrimination.
The claim was made under the Equality Act, 2010, which was ironically intended to end workplace discrimination through measures such as positive action. However, in this case, Furlong used the legislation to show that, although he had passed the selection process, he was rejected unfairly on the basis of race. The tribunal concluded, “the approach used was not a proportionate means to achieve a legitimate aim.”
The Deputy Chief Constable has confirmed that the Constabulary is now looking very closely at the recruitment process, adding, “positive action was used with the best of intentions and that it is important to the force to be transparent and fair.”
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
