WORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN BRITAIN AND WESTERN-AUSTRALIA

Both in Britain and the state of Western Australia, statutory or judic ial recognition of the undesirability and illegality of sexual harassm ent at the workplace came late. While the British Sex Discrimination A ct, proscribing discrimination on the grounds of sex, was passed in 19 75, it was only in 1984 that the Western Australian legislature enacte d the Equal Opportunity Act. However, this latter Act, in addition to making sex discrimination unlawful, unlike the British Legislation, ex plicitly prohibited sexual harassment. The interpretation of the Briti sh Act has now included sexual harassment in the definition of sex dis crimination. Thus, both pieces of legislation forbid, and provide for remedies against, sexual harassment. This article examines the relevan t British developments and then analyzes the Western Australian develo pments.