It has been reported that the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has told the High Court it now expects to deliver its final Code of Practice on Services, Public Functions and Associations to the government by the end of August 2025, a delay from its earlier aim of the end of July.
The updated Services Code is being revised to reflect the Supreme Court’s ruling in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16. A public consultation on the changes ran from 20 May to 30 June 2025 and has apparently received over 50,000 responses.
Before the consultation, the EHRC issued an interim update in April 2025 on the practical implications of the For Women Scotland decision, later amending it in June. That interim guidance has been at the centre of several legal challenges, including those brought by the Good Law Project and Liberty.
On 30 July 2025, during a preliminary hearing in the Good Law Project’s judicial review case, the EHRC reportedly confirmed its revised timeline for handing the Services Code to government.
No timetable has yet been given for updates to the Employment Code of Practice, though the EHRC has previously stated that work will start after the Services Code is finalised.
