How will the definition of religion and belief change?
A Regulation 2(1) of the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 (the regulations), defines religion or belief as “any religion, religious belief, or similar philosophical belief”. The explanatory notes to the regulations state that the reference to “similar philosophical belief” does not include any philosophical or political belief unless it is similar to a religious belief, but the Equality Act 2006 amends this definition by removing the word ‘similar’. Under the new definition, “belief means any religious or philosophical belief”. This change will, therefore, considerably widen the scope of what might be regarded as a philosophical belief as any genuine philosophical belief, including political beliefs, will be covered. Q How will the Equality Act 2006 affect discrimination against non-believers? A To date, it has been unclear whether or not prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief in the regulations includes discrimination against non-belie
