His call for new legislation was backed by Julie Mellor, who chairs the Equal Opportunities Commission.

BBC: Equality agency plans under fire

Ms Bahl is the former chairman of the society's commerce and industry group and was chairman of the Equal Opportunities Commission before becoming a Law Society elected office-holder.

BBC: Kamlesh Bahl: A lightning rod for change

Those with back injuries, for example, not the blind, deaf or crippled, file most complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, the act's chief enforcer.

ECONOMIST: Men, women, work and law