Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Period within which proceedings must be brought U.K.

6 (1) A county court or a sheriff court shall not consider a claim under section 25 unless proceedings in respect of the claim are instituted before the end of the period of six months beginning when the act complained of was done.

[F1 (2) Where, in relation to proceedings or prospective proceedings under section 25, the dispute concerned is referred for conciliation in pursuance of arrangements under section 27 of the Equality Act 2006 before the end of the period of six months mentioned in sub-paragraph (1), the period allowed by that sub-paragraph shall be extended by three months.]

(3) A court may consider any claim under section 25 which is out of time if, in all the circumstances of the case, it considers that it is just and equitable to do so.

(4) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)—

(a) where an unlawful act of discrimination is attributable to a term in a contract, that act is to be treated as extending throughout the duration of the contract;

(b) any act extending over a period shall be treated as done at the end of that period; and

(c) a deliberate omission shall be treated as done when the person in question decided upon it.

(5) In the absence of evidence establishing the contrary, a person shall be taken for the purposes of this paragraph to decide upon an omission—

(a) when he does an act inconsistent with doing the omitted act; or

(b) if he has done no such inconsistent act, when the period expires within which he might reasonably have been expected to do the omitted act if it was to be done.

Extent Information

E1 In its application to Northern Ireland, this paragraph has effect subject to the modifications set out in Sch. 8: see s. 70(6)

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 3 para. 6(2) substituted (E.W.S.) (1.10.2007) by Equality Act 2006 (c. 3), ss. 40, 93, Sch. 3 para. 56(1) (with s. 92); S.I. 2007/2603, art. 2 (subject to art. 3)