Stonewall statement on the CPS and the Diversity Champions programme

Nancy Kelley, Chief Executive, Stonewall (she/her) said: ‘We’re delighted to hear the judicial review against the Crown Prosecution Service and its membership to our Diversity Champions programme has not been granted. Justice Cavanagh said he believed those bringing the case had no arguable claim of success.

‘Far from causing “bias”, our Diversity Champions programme helps organisations like the CPS tackle the prejudice and discrimination LGBT+ staff face in their workplaces. This is vital as more than a third of LGBT staff (35 per cent) hide who they are at work, while one in five (18 per cent) have been the target of negative comments because they’re LGBT.

‘By working with us, the CPS is working to ensure their LGBT+ staff are free from discrimination at work, and showing they care about creating an inclusive workplace. Yet, for doing so, they were made the target of an unfounded and baseless legal attack that misrepresents Stonewall’s work. It is not biased to make your workplace accepting of LGBT+ people. But this case exposes the hostility directed at employers who are working to improve the lives of their LGBT+ staff. It also highlights the disingenuous attempts to discourage public authorities not just from working with Stonewall, but from their delivering commitments to LGBT+ equality.

‘We’re proud to work with over 850 Diversity Champions to create spaces where every LGBT+ person is accepted for who they are. We will continue to fight for LGBT+ people until we are all free to be ourselves, both in the workplace and outside of it.’