40 yrs of UK race laws makes minorities' life better

UK's Race Relations Act of 1965 set the stage for more laws over the years to curb racism in everyday life as well as the workplace.

It is exactly 40 years since Britain enacted its first law on race relations in 1965 and today its comprehensive set of race laws has made a world of difference to the life of ethnic minorities - but more needs to be done, feel officials.

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The Race Relations Act, 1965, came into force on December 8 that year and set the stage for more laws over the years to curb racism in everyday life as well as the workplace.

It was a landmark piece of legislation at a time when racism was rife.

Those were the days when slogans such as "No blacks, no Irish, no dogs" were common and the first immigrants from the Commonwealth arriving in Britain faced much abuse in streets, restaurants and other public places.

Slowly but surely, over the years, Britain put into place a series of legislation starting from the 1965 act, which banned discrimination on the "grounds of colour, race, or ethnic or national origins" in public places.

That act covered hotels and restaurants but excluded shops, and failed to tackle prejudice at work or in housing. It also made racial discrimination a civil, rather than a criminal, offence.

It is widely acknowledged today within the Asian and Afro-Caribbean communities that things are no longer as bad as they were in the 1950s and 1960s, but it is also felt that more needs to be done.