Equality Act

The main law in the UK against discrimination including discrimination against disabled people.

• The Equality Act (2010)

Equality and human rights commission

A quasi autonomous non governmental organisation established by uk law with a responsibility to promote equality and human rights. They have legal authority to take people to court for discrimination or fund other peoples discrimination court cases but does so very selectively because of their limited funding.

Stammering Law

A website by an ex lawyer with a stammer that focuses on equality law and disability. A really great resource for people trying to understand equality act (and human rights act) caselaw.

• Disability equality law

Doug Paully’s DART guide

Doug Paully is a disabled wheelchair user who has written a guide based on his own experience of bringing numerous discrimination cases to court.

• DART – the Disability Attitude Re-adjustment Tool

Handbook for litigants in person

Concerned that more people were bringing cases to court with out a lawyer (which is what the small claims track was designed for) and getting confused or caught out by legal technicalities several judges wrote a guide for litigants in person (people suing or being sued without a lawyer)

• A Handbook for Litigants in Person

Support through court

A charity often based in court buildings that offers help to people with out lawyers. They don't offer legal advice but they do advice on the protocols procedures and paperwork of the court system.

• Support through court

British and Irish Legal Information Institute

They maintain a database of case law that's very extensive. Covering civil and criminal cases. British and some european law. You can search and read the judgments to try and figure out what case law precedent is on certain issues.

• British and Irish Legal Information Institute

Civil procedure Rules

There are a lot of rules about how to interact with civil courts. Rules of evidence. How to bring start and stop cases. Even rules about what to do before starting to sue someone. The Civil procedures rules is the rules the courts, parliament and government have settled on. If you're going to sue someone you should be familer with these.

• Civil procedure Rules

Advicenow

Provides free legal advice to important and urgent cases that can't get legal aid from the government.

• Advicenow

Legal Aid

The government offers financial aid to higher a lawyer to work on your case but only certain kinds of cases are eligible and there are often financial constraints (in terms of you being sufficiently poor to qualify for help).

• Legal Aid

Equality advisory and support service

The EASS offeres advice on a 1 to 1 basis about discrimination and human rights. They do not offer legal advice. It also able to act as a go between between discriminators and autistic people and may be able to help arrange mediation.

• Equality advisory and support service

Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service

ACAS gives advice on employment rights generally (including disability discrimination law). They also offer mediation / conciliation / arbitration services between employers and employees. It's generally a requirement to contact ACAS before going to an employment tribunal.

• Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism

A non party political interest group of MPs and members of the house of lords who have an interest in autism. It's a great place to start if campaigning for better laws or help from the government for autistic people. Especially if your MP is in the group.

• The All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism

Autism act

This law places a duty on the goverment to have an upto date autism stratergy and guidance for the NHS and councils. It's called guidance but they are legally required to follow it. This law is primarily concerned with diagnosing autistic adults, assessing their needs, providing relevant services, training staff to deal with them, appointing people to organise this etc.

• Autism act
• Autism strategy
• Autism guidance

Mental capacity act

The mental capacity act is a set of laws about when some one can be declared legally incompetent to make important decisions about their own lives and what should happen when thats the case. It includes something called the deprivation of liberty safeguards which ensures anyone found to be deprived of their liberty (eg locked in a hospital) has the right to apply to a court to chalenge whether they are competent.

• Mental capacity act

Human rights act

One of the most important laws this law is a kind of law above laws that defines several human rights. When the government or laws violate peoples human rights it gives judges wide powers to ignore lesser laws, stretch the interpretation of acts of parliament and order to the government to act differently. Laws (acts of parliament) can't be ignored altogether so if a law violates someones human rights and can't be fixed by reinterpreting it all the judges can to is declare the law in violation of human rights.

• Human rights act