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EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ACT 1984 - NOTES

Notes

1 This is a compilation of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 and includes the amendments made by the other written laws referred to in the following table. The table also contains information about any reprint.

Compilation table

Short title

Number and year

Assent

Commencement

Equal Opportunity Act 1984

83 of 1984

7 Dec 1984

s. 1 and 2: 7 Dec 1984;
Act other than s. 1 and 2: 8 Jul 1985 (see s. 2 and Gazette 5 Jul 1985 p. 2387)

Acts Amendment (Financial Administration and Audit) Act 1985 s. 3 10

98 of 1985

4 Dec 1985

1 Jul 1986 (see s. 2 and Gazette 30 Jun 1986 p. 2255)

Equal Opportunity Amendment Act 1988 11

40 of 1988

30 Nov 1988

s. 1 and 2: 30 Nov 1988;
s. 14-26, 28 and 31-33: 30 Nov 1988 (see s. 2(2));
s. 3-13, 27, 29-30: 20 Jan 1989 (see s. 2(1) and Gazette 13 Jan 1989 p. 61)

Equal Opportunity Amendment Act 1992 12, 13

74 of 1992

11 Dec 1992

Act other than s. 4-8, 10-31, 33-35 and 37 –40 (subject to s. 9(2) and (3) and s. 36(2)): 11 Dec 1992 (see s. 2(1)); s. 4-8, 10-31, 33-35 and 37-40: 8 Jan 1993 (see s. 2(2))

Acts Amendment (Public Sector Management) Act 1994 s. 19

32 of 1994

29 Jun 1994

1 Oct 1994 (see s. 2 and Gazette 30 Sep 1994 p. 4948)

Energy Corporations (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 1994 s. 109

89 of 1994

15 Dec 1994

1 Jan 1995 (see s. 2(2) and Gazette 23 Dec 1994 p. 7069)

Sentencing (Consequential Provisions) Act 1995 s. 147

78 of 1995

16 Jan 1996

4 Nov 1996 (see s. 2 and Gazette 25 Oct 1996 p. 5632)

Reprint of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 as at 16 Apr 1996 (includes amendments listed above except those in the Sentencing (Consequential Provisions) Act 1995)

Local Government (Consequential Amendments) Act 1996 s. 4

14 of 1996

28 Jun 1996

1 Jul 1996 (see s. 2)

Vocational Education and Training Act 1996 s. 71(1)

42 of 1996

16 Oct 1996

1 Jan 1997 (see s. 2 and Gazette 12 Nov 1996 p. 6301)

Electoral Legislation Amendment Act 1996 s. 28

43 of 1996

16 Oct 1996

9 Nov 1996 (see s. 2(2) and Gazette 8 Nov 1996 p. 6265)

Acts Amendment and Repeal (Family Court) Act 1997 s. 31

41 of 1997

9 Dec 1997

26 Sep 1998 (see s. 2 and Gazette 25 Sep 1998 p. 5295)

Equal Opportunity Amendment Act (No. 3) 1997

42 of 1997

9 Dec 1997

s. 4: 1 Dec 1993 (see s. 2(2));
Act other than s. 4: 6 Jan 1998 (see s. 2(1))

Statutes (Repeals and Minor Amendments) Act 1997 s. 55

57 of 1997

15 Dec 1997

15 Dec 1997 (see s. 2(1))

Statutes (Repeals and Minor Amendments) Act (No. 2) 1998 s. 33

10 of 1998

30 Apr 1998

30 Apr 1998 (see s. 2(1))

Friendly Societies (Western Australia) Act 1999 s. 19

2 of 1999

25 Mar 1999

24 May 1999 (see s. 2 and Gazette 21 May 1999 p. 1999)

Reprint of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 as at 7 May 1999 (includes amendments listed above except those in the Friendly Societies (Western Australia) Act 1999)

School Education Act 1999 s. 247

36 of 1999

2 Nov 1999

1 Jan 2001 (see s. 2 and Gazette 29 Dec 2000 p. 7904)

Gas Corporation (Business Disposal) Act 1999 s. 101

58 of 1999

24 Dec 1999

16 Dec 2000 (see s. 2(5) and Gazette 15 Dec 2000 p. 7201)

Gender Reassignment Act 2000 s. 28

2 of 2000

12 Apr 2000

19 Dec 2001 (see s. 2 and Gazette 18 Dec 2001 p. 6489)

Statutes (Repeals and Minor Amendments) Act 2000 s. 14(13)

24 of 2000

4 Jul 2000

4 Jul 2000 (see s. 2)

Reprint of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 as at 21 Jul 2000 (includes amendments listed above except those in the School Education Act 1999, Gas Corporation (Business Disposal) Act 1999 and the Gender Reassignment Act 2000)

Building Societies Amendment Act 2001 s. 48

12 of 2001

13 Jul 2001

13 Jul 2001 (see s. 2)

Acts Amendment (Lesbian and Gay Law Reform) Act 2002 Pt. 8 14

3 of 2002

17 Apr 2002

21 Sep 2002 (see s. 2 and Gazette 20 Sep 2002 p. 4693)

Labour Relations Reform Act 2002 s. 183

20 of 2002

8 Jul 2002

1 Aug 2002 (see s. 2 and Gazette 26 Jul 2002 p. 3459)

Acts Amendment and Repeal (Courts and Legal Practice) Act 2003 s. 33 and 112

65 of 2003

4 Dec 2003

1 Jan 2004 (see s. 2 and Gazette 30 Dec 2003 p. 5722)

Courts Legislation Amendment and Repeal Act 2004 s. 141

59 of 2004

23 Nov 2004

1 May 2005 (see s. 2 and Gazette 31 Dec 2004 p. 7128)

State Administrative Tribunal (Conferral of Jurisdiction) Amendment and Repeal Act 2004 Pt. 2 Div. 43 15, 16

55 of 2004

24 Nov 2004

1 Jan 2005 (see s. 2 and Gazette 31 Dec 2004 p. 7130)

Reprint 4: The Equal Opportunity Act 1984 as at 1 Apr 2005 (includes amendments listed above except those in the Courts Legislation Amendment and Repeal Act 2004)

Housing Societies Repeal Act 2005 s. 26

17 of 2005

5 Oct 2005

10 Jul 2010 (see s. 2(3) and Gazette 9 Jul 2010 p. 3239)

Electricity Corporations Act 2005 s. 139

18 of 2005

13 Oct 2005

1 Apr 2006 (see s. 2(2) and Gazette 31 Mar 2006 p. 1153)

Machinery of Government (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2006 s. 452(1) 17

28 of 2006

26 Jun 2006

1 Jul 2006 (see s. 2 and Gazette 27 Jun 2006 p. 2347)

Solicitor-General Amendment Act 2006 s. 12

29 of 2006

30 Jun 2006

18 Jul 2006 (see s. 2)

Liquor and Gaming Legislation Amendment Act 2006 s. 117

73 of 2006

13 Dec 2006

7 May 2007 (see s. 2(2) and Gazette 1 May 2007 p. 1893)

Financial Legislation Amendment and Repeal Act 2006 Sch. 1 cl. 60

77 of 2006

21 Dec 2006

1 Feb 2007 (see s. 2(1) and Gazette 19 Jan 2007 p. 137)

Reprint 5: The Equal Opportunity Act 1984 as at 2 Mar 2007 (includes amendments listed above except those in the Housing Societies Repeal Act 2005 and Liquor and Gaming Legislation Amendment Act 2006)

Acts Amendment (Justice) Act 2008 Pt. 10

5 of 2008

31 Mar 2008

30 Sep 2008 (see s. 2(d) and Gazette 11 Jul 2008 p. 3253)

Legal Profession Act 2008 s. 661

21 of 2008

27 May 2008

1 Mar 2009 (see s. 2(b) and Gazette 27 Feb 2009 p. 511)

Acts Amendment (Bankruptcy) Act 2009 s. 36

18 of 2009

16 Sep 2009

17 Sep 2009 (see s. 2(b))

Co-operatives Act 2009 s. 509 and 514 18

24 of 2009

22 Oct 2009

s. 509: 1 Sep 2010 (see s. 2(b) and Gazette 13 Aug 2010 p. 3975);
s. 514: 1 Sep 2012 (see s. 2(c) and Gazette 13 Aug 2010 p. 3975)

Equal Opportunity Amendment Act 2010

2 of 2010

1 Apr 2010

s. 1 and 2: 1 Apr 2010 (see s. 2(a));
Act other than s. 1 and 2: 25 Sep 2010 (see s. 2(b) and Gazette 24 Sep 2010 p. 5047)

Public Sector Reform Act 2010 s. 89

39 of 2010

1 Oct 2010

1 Dec 2010 (see s. 2(b) and Gazette 5 Nov 2010 p. 5563)

Reprint 6: The Equal Opportunity Act 1984 as at 7 Jan 2011 (includes amendments listed above except those in the Co-operatives Act 2009 s. 514)

Fines, Penalties and Infringement Notices Enforcement Amendment Act 2012 Pt. 3

48 of 2012

29 Nov 2012

21 Aug 2013 (see s. 2(b) and Gazette 20 Aug 2013 p. 3815)

Electricity Corporations Amendment Act 2013 s. 42

25 of 2013

18 Dec 2013

1 Jan 2014 (see s. 2(c) and Gazette 27 Dec 2013 p. 6465)

Associations Incorporation Act 2015 s. 232

30 of 2015

2 Nov 2015

1 Jul 2016 (see s. 2(b) and Gazette 24 Jun 2016 p. 2291-2)

Public Health (Consequential Provisions) Act 2016 s. 101 and Pt. 5 Div. 6

19 of 2016

25 Jul 2016

s. 101: 24 Jan 2017 (see s. 2(1)(c) and Gazette 10 Jan 2017 p. 165);
Pt. 5 Div. 6: 20 Sep 2017 (see s. 2(1)(c) and Gazette 19 Sep 2017 p. 4880)

Reprint 7: The Equal Opportunity Act 1984 as at 5 Aug 2016 (includes amendments listed above except the Public Health (Consequential Provisions) Act 2016

Statutes (Minor Amendments) Act 2017 s. 8

6 of 2017

12 Sep 2017

13 Sep 2017 (see s. 2(b))

Industrial Relations Amendment Act 2018 s. 68

39 of 2018

12 Dec 2018

19 Dec 2018 (see s. 2(b) and Gazette 18 Dec 2018 p. 4835)

2 Repealed by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 1986 s. 4 (Cwlth) (No. 126 of 1986). Now see the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cwlth).

3 The Uniform Building By-laws 1974 were repealed by Gazette 28 July 1989 p. 2280.

4 Repealed by the Financial Institutions (Western Australia) Act 1992 s. 22(1) which was repealed by the Acts Amendment and Repeal (Financial Sector Reform) Act 1999 s. 5.

5 The Friendly Societies (Western Australia) Act 1999, to which the Friendly Societies (Western Australia) Code was an Appendix, was repealed by the Acts Amendment and Repeal (Financial Sector Reform) Act 1999 s. 5(d).

6 The Industrial Relations Act 1988 (Cwlth) was renamed the Workplace Relations Act 1996 by the Workplace and Other Legislation Amendment Act 1996 Sch. 19 (Cwlth). The Workplace Relations Act 1996 was then repealed by the Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 2009 (Cwlth).

7 The Western Australian Government Railways Commission no longer exists. Its successor is the Public Transport Authority. See the Public Transport Authority Act 2003 s. 80.

8 Under the Public Sector Management Act 1994 s. 112(1), a reference to the Public Service Act 1978 is to be read as a reference to the Public Sector Management Act 1994. The reference was changed under the Reprints Acts 1984 s. 7(3)(g).

9 Now known as the Police Service.

10 The Acts Amendment (Financial Administration and Audit) Act 1985 s. 4 is a savings and transitional provision of no further effect.

11 The Equal Opportunity Amendment Act 1988 s. 33 is a transitional provision of no further effect.

12 The Equal Opportunity Amendment Act 1992 s. 36(2) is a saving provision of no further effect.

13 The Equal Opportunity Amendment Act 1992 s. 9(2) and (3) read as follows:


(2) To the extent that it affects the application of the principal Act to conduct by a person who was, at the time of the conduct, a Member of Parliament, subsection (1) is deemed to have come into operation immediately after the commencement of the principal Act.

(3) Where a contravention of the principal Act is alleged to have been committed before the day on which this Act receives the Royal Assent and it would not have been a contravention but for subsection (2), the reference in section 83(4) of the principal Act to the date on which the contravention is alleged to have been committed is to be regarded as a reference to the day on which this Act received the Royal Assent.


14 The Acts Amendment (Lesbian and Gay Law Reform) Act 2002 s. 51(3) is a savings provision of no further effect.

15 The State Administrative Tribunal (Conferral of Jurisdiction) Amendment and Repeal Act 2004 Pt. 5, the State Administrative Tribunal Act 2004 s. 167 and 169, and the State Administrative Tribunal Regulations 2004 r. 28 and 42 deal with certain transitional issues some of which may be relevant for this Act.

16 The State Administrative Tribunal Regulations 2004 r. 48 reads as follows:


48. Equal Opportunity Act 1984

Unless the context otherwise requires, where in an arrangement made under the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 section 7 there is a reference to the Equal Opportunity Tribunal that reference is to be read and construed as a reference to the State Administrative Tribunal.


17 The Machinery of Government (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2006 section 454 provides general transitional provisions concerning references to chief executive officers that are amended or repealed by that Act.

18 The amendments in the Co-operatives Act 2009 s. 509(2) and 514(2) are not included because the section to be amended (s. 35N(1)) had expired on 9 Jan 1995 under s. 35N(2). Section 35N(2) reads as follows:


(2) Subsection (1) shall, except to the extent that regulations made for the purposes of this subsection provide otherwise, cease to be in force at the expiration of 2 years after the coming into operation of section 11 of the Equal Opportunity Amendment Act 1992.



Defined terms

[This is a list of terms defined and the provisions where they are defined. The list is not part of the law.]

Defined term Provision(s)
accommodation 4(1)
advertisement 66ZS(2), 68(2)
age 4(1)

aggrieved person 8(1) and (2), 9(1) and (2), 10(1) and (2), 10A(1) and (2), 19,
35A(1) and (2), 35O(1)-(3), 35X, 36(1), (1a) and (2), 45, 53(1) and (2),
66A(1), (1a), (3) and (4), 66J(1), 66V(1)-(3), 66ZE(1), 67A

amending section 66ZL(2)
authority 138, 163(4)
charitable benefits 4(1), 70(2)
club 4(1)
commission agent 4(1)
Commissioner 4(1)
committee of management 4(1)
complainant 4(1)
complaint 4(1)
contract worker 4(1)
court 167(4)
Director 4(1)

discriminator 8(1) and (2), 9(1) and (2), 10(1) and (2), 10A(1) and (2), 19,
35A(2), 35AB(1) and (3), 35AK, 35A(1), 35O(1)-(3), 35X,
36(1), (1a) and (2), 45, 53(1) and (2), 66A(1), (1a), (3) and (4),
66J(1), 66V(1)-(3), 66ZE(1), 67A

document 4(1)
educational authority 4(1)
educational institution 4(1)
employment 4(1)
employment agency 4(1)
existing condition 66ZL(2)
family responsibility or family status 4(1)
Fines Enforcement Registrar 4(1)
functions 4(1)
gender reassigned person 4(1)
harasser 49A(1) and (2)
impairment 4(1)
incorporated association 4(1)
inquiry 4(1)
institution 74(1)
institution of tertiary education 4(1)
man 4(1)
management plan 138
marital status 4(1)
near relative 4(1)
notifiable infectious disease 66U(3)
opposite sex 35AA(2)
person victimised 67(1)
principal 4(1)
private educational authority 4(1)
produce 167(4)
public authority 139(3)
race 4(1)
relative 4(1)
relevant details 4(1)
relevant documents 86(1)
relevant information 86(1)
relevant person 165(2)
relevant sex 27(2)
religious or political conviction 4(3)
representative complaint 4(1)
respondent 4(1)
services 4(1)
sexual orientation 4(1)
State employee 4(1)
trade union 83(6)
Tribunal 4(1)
vehicle 4(1)
victimiser 67(1)
voluntary body 4(1)
Western Australian law 4(1)
woman 4(1)



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