Co-Chair
Yvonne
Frederiksen
Co-Chair
Pål Kvernaas
Diversity and Equality Law Committee
The Diversity and Equality Law Committee includes private practitioners, in-house attorneys, and academics working with corporate clients on issues like pay equity, anti-discrimination, and LGBTQ+ rights. Members come from leading law firms, corporations, and various perspectives. The Committee publishes an annual newsletter highlighting new developments and issues of interest. The Committee also comprises the Disability Rights Working Group, focused on disabled individuals' rights in the workplace. The Committee collaborates with the Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee, the Immigration and Nationality Law Committee , and the Global Employment Institute.
About the Committee
The Diversity and Equality Law Committee comprises private practitioners, in-house attorneys and academics, many of whom work with corporate clients in order to help them fulfil their key goals in such areas as pay equity, prevention of discrimination based on gender, race, religion, age, and disability (among other protected traits), and LGBTQ issues.
Many of these professionals are members of leading law firms or corporations. Of course, we welcome members from all areas and with all perspectives.
The Committee publishes annually the Diversity and Equality Law Committee Newsletter, which gives members an opportunity to bring attention to new developments in their jurisdictions, and other issues of interest.
The Committee also comprises the Disability Rights Working Group, whose members are interested in issues facing disabled individuals and their rights in the working world.
The Committee has been fortunate to enjoy very active support from its officers as well as invaluable input from other committees. It is a sign of the Committee's growing strength that increasingly we are asked to co-sponsor sessions with other IBA committees.
The officers are always keen to encourage others to join in the work so if you would like to contribute an article or suggest a topic for future conferences then please contact any of the officers. E-mail is our preferred means of communication.
We work closely with our colleagues in the other three bodies making up the Human Resources Section: the Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee, the Immigration and Nationality Law Committee, and the Global Employment Institute. The Human Resources Section Board was established in 2014 in order to coordinate activities and join efforts within the Section. Board members consist of the current and immediate past Chairs of each of the committees in the Section.
Forthcoming conferences and webinars View All Conferences
IBA Annual Conference Copenhagen 2026
04 Oct - 09 Oct 2026
Copenhagen , Denmark
Annual IBA Employment and Diversity Law Conference 2027
07 Apr - 09 Apr 2027
Bangalore , India
Publications
Voices in conflict: free speech, social media, and the workplace during national trauma
In times of national trauma, the boundaries of acceptable speech tend to diminish. Emotions run high, public discourse becomes polarised, and institutions, especially employers, sometimes feel pressure to ‘take a stand’. But what happens when that pressure collides with one of the most fundamental democratic rights: freedom of expression?
Released on Jul 20, 2026
Measuring what matters: compliance as a bridge between data and practice
This article examines how the gap between corporate diversity disclosures and actual workforce practices – a phenomenon known as ‘diversity washing’ – distorts ESG ratings, misallocates capital, and erodes stakeholder trust, and argues that effective compliance programmes, rather than performative policies, which are the necessary bridge between reported metrics and genuine organisational change
Released on Jul 20, 2026
Anti-DEI views: not protected as ‘political belief’ in Canada
At what point does an employer have a right to require employees to support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives? In supporting diverse views, will there be instances where an employer can decide that a person’s lack of support for DEI is enough to refuse to hire them? A recent Canadian human rights decision explores this question, which involves the anti-DEI views of an applicant seeking to become a university professor.
Released on Jul 20, 2026
Beyond office walls: the employer’s right to discipline employees for out-of-office speech and conduct
This article examines instances when out-of-office speech, social media activity, or off-duty conduct may become a legitimate workplace concern under Philippine law. It discusses the extent of an employer’s right to discipline employees for such conduct, while emphasising that any disciplinary action must be based on a valid cause, supported by due process, and proportionate to the offence. It also highlights that while employees do not lose their rights to expression and privacy outside of the workplace, those rights must be balanced against the employer’s legitimate business interests, workplace standards, and duty to protect its employees and reputation.
Released on Jul 20, 2026
Subcommittees and other groups
The Diversity and Equality Law Committee also coordinates the activities of the following subcommittees/working groups.
- Disability Rights Working Group