Part 1The Commission for Equality and Human Rights

General powers

15Codes of practice: supplemental

1

The Commission may revise a code issued under section 14; and a reference in this section or in that section to the issue of a code shall be treated as including a reference to the revision of a code.

2

The 40 day period specified in section 14(8)—

a

shall begin with the date on which the draft is laid before both Houses (or, if laid before each House on a different date, with the later date), and

b

shall be taken not to include a period during which—

i

Parliament is prorogued or dissolved, or

ii

both Houses are adjourned for more than four days.

3

A code issued under section 14 may be revoked by the Secretary of State, at the request of the Commission, by order.

4

A failure to comply with a provision of a code shall not of itself make a person liable to criminal or civil proceedings; but a code—

a

shall be admissible in evidence in criminal or civil proceedings, and

b

shall be taken into account by a court or tribunal in any case in which it appears to the court or tribunal to be relevant.

5

Subsection (4)(b) does not apply in relation to a code issued under section 14(4).

6

The Secretary of State may by order amend section 14 so as to vary the range of matters that codes of practice under that section may address.