england-and-wales legal-terms
What is “private law”?
<p><a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/156" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Section 156 of the Equality Act 2010</a> says:</p>
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<p>A failure in respect of a performance of a duty imposed by or under this Chapter does not confer a cause of action at private law.</p>
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<p>What does the phrase <em>at private law</em> mean?</p>

<p>As @James K indicated in a comment:</p>
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<p>Private law involves relationships between individuals, such as the law of contracts and torts, (as it is called in the common law), and the law of obligations (as it is called in civil legal systems). It is to be distinguished from public law, which deals with relationships between both natural and artificial persons (i.e., organizations) and the state, including regulatory statutes, penal law and other law that affects the public order. <strong>In general terms, private law involves interactions between private individuals</strong>, whereas public law involves interrelations between the state and the general population.</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_law" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Source: Wikipedia</a></p>
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<p>The effect of section 156 is that anyone adversely affected by a public authority's failings under <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/part/11/chapter/1?timeline=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Part 11, Chapter 1</a> cannot sue: any redress is by way of judicial review.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/notes/division/3/11/1/8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Explanatory Note</a> to section 156 offers this example:</p>
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<p>A local council fails to give due regard to the requirements of the public sector equality duty when deciding to stop funding a local women’s refuge. An individual would not be able to sue the local council as a result and claim compensation. She would need to consider whether to pursue judicial review proceedings.</p>
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