The primary law that protects against discrimination when accessing goods and services based on protected characteristics (such as race, faith, gender etc) is the Equality Act 2010. You can find further information here: click here

You may feel that you have received unfair treatment because of one or more of your protected characteristics such as race, faith, sex, disability etc or a combination of these. This could include:

• refusal of a service
• given a lower standard of service
• subjected to hostile / negative behaviour or comments.
• not making reasonable adjustments to accommodate needs

This treatment could be received when using any types of service or when accessing goods whether is a government run service or a business. Here are some examples, although it is not an exhaustive list:

• Shops, restaurants, cafes
• Banks and financial services
• Transport services
• Government run services such as local authorities, healthcare, police etc
• Entertainment venues
• Estate agents / landlords

The first step should always be to resolve the matter informally by contacting the trader or service provider or asking for their complaints policy. Although its an informal process make the complaint formally in writing. Minority ethnic communities including Muslims have a lower rate of using complaints services. However, this is an important tool to ensure there is accountability and learning which can result in internal training and improved services benefitting others too.

If you are not satisfied with the response from the service / goods provder or you do not receive a response then contact your local citizens advice bureau, the Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) helpline 0808 800 0082 / www.equalityadvisoryservice.com or you can contact an ombudsman for that service

You may be able to take legal action against the trader or service provider. If you want to make a discrimination claim you need to apply to the court within 6 months of the discrimination you are complaining about. You should contact a specialist discrimination solicitor or barrister for more advice about whether you can bring a claim in the county court.

However, If you want to take legal action, the courts now generally expect you to have considered the use of alternative dispute resolution before you start court action. This involves using an an independent professional, called a mediator, conciliator or arbitrator who help find a solution to a problem. Sometimes you can use a local community mediation service free of charge. The Equality Advisory Support Service can be contacted for advice and information on mediators.