The Equality and Human Rights Commission replaced the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) and Disability Rights Commission (DRC). It came into being in 2007 amidst vocal opposition from across the political spectrum to the Human Rights Act, the increasing influence of human rights legislation emanating from Strasbourg and the legislative project that would eventually become the Equality Act 2010.

The transition from the three legacy commissions it replaced was difficult, but recently the EHRC has begun to take strides towards finding its distinctive institutional voice on the national stage. However, it continues to be buffeted by powerful political crosswinds, and it has remained largely peripheral to mainstream debate.

This research project, supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Human Rights Consortium, School of Advanced Study, University of London is intended to provide a timely contribution to debate on the development of the EHRC and its future at a time when it faces a number of issues in addition to its formation. These include the Government Equalities Office (GEO) declaring that “the EHRC’s performance to date has been weak,” the same office setting out a manifesto for imposing greater Ministerial control over the EHRC,   the government floating a proposal to reduce the EHRC budget by a reported 68% by 2015 and possible reform through secondary legislation in the government’s Public Bodies Bill. In addition there is increasing international attention on the EHRC as a UN-accredited ‘A status’ National Human Rights Institution (NHRI).