Five daughters of peers are taking the Government to the European Court of Human Rights who, save for their gender, are unable to stand for election to the House of Lords. We believe that the Government is in breach of Article 3 of the First Protocol, read with Article 14. That these women are being discriminated against on the basis of their gender and the right to a free election.
There is precedent. In 2008, two men in Bosnia-Herzegovina wanted to stand for election to their Upper House and were denied based on their race. They took their case to the European Court of Human Rights and won. Swap race for gender and the cases are identical.
We have a strong legal team working with us who believe this is wrong that needs righting. They are Edward Legard, a barrister specialising in discrimination law, Paul Hardy, a barrister specialising in European and Parliamentary law at DLA Piper and Lord David Pannick QC who specialises in Human Rights.
The case has been orchestrated by Daughters’ Rights, a pressure group lobbying for equality for daughters who are systematically & institutionally discriminated against over inheritance laws.
Charlotte Carew Pole has been chairman since 2015.