Under S.20 of the Equality Act 2006, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has powers to investigate compliance with equality legislation when it suspects that an unlawful act may have been committed. Using those powers the EHRC has informed the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service (the Met) that it will carry out an investigation into unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation of employees by the Met. This investigation is a response to longstanding concerns about the Met’s treatment of female, BME and gay officers, and follows the recent employment tribunal’s findings in the case of Carol Howard v Metropolitan Police Service of race and sex discrimination against Ms Howard, as well as victimisation, resulting in an award of £37,000 in compensation. The focus of the investigation will be the Met’s Fairness at Work and misconduct procedures. 

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