The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) is established under Race Relations Act 1976, s.43, and derives its powers and duties from that and the following sections. It has the power to conduct a formal investigation and to issue a non-discrimination notice in appropriate cases.

It is the RRA 1976 equivalent of the Equal Opportunities Commission which has similar functions under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (see SEX DISCRIMINATION/Equal Opportunities Commission ).

A single Commission for Equality and Human Rights ("CEHR") was proposed in a Fairness for all - government White Paper of May 2004 and will start to operate in October 2007. The functions of the Commission for Racial Equality (along with those of the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Discrimination Commission) will be absorbed into those of the new "Commission for Equality and Human Rights" as from October 2007 (see Acts of Parliament etc/Equality Act 2006 ). Accordingly the CRE, along with the Disability Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission, is dissolved with effect from 1st October 2007 (by the Equality Act 2006 (Dissolution of Commissions and Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Order 2007, SI 2007/2602).

There is a useful CRE database of Race Discrimination Case Law summaries on the CRE website.

See also Racial discrimination/addresses & tel nos and/or Racial discrimination/Annual Report of CRE