A judicial review claim was brought by campaigners that needs quashing the legislation for the 2021 census was rejected by the high court of England and Wales on Friday. The rejection of the legislation was demanded because there is no separate tick box for Sikh ethnicity, and the court rejected the claim stating that there was no error in law.
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Several MPs were backing the long-running campaign alleging undercounting of the Sikh population in official statistics. As census was utilized mainly for allocation of funds, Sikhs feel separate tick box is mandatory. Campaign group Sikh Federation (UK), that brought the claim, said it would continue to fight for separate recognition for the community. It had argued that the decision to exclude the tick box was based on legally unsustainable reasoning and therefore unlawful.
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The Office for National Statistics (ONS) preparing itself for the 2021 census, spokesperson said “The census questionnaire has been designed to allow everyone to identify as they wish”. “As in 2011, there will be a Sikh religion tick box and everyone who wishes to identify as Sikh in response to the ethnicity question will be able to do so using search-as-you-type online and through a write-in option on paper”. ONS says the religion question has a specific Sih tick-box option and those who wants to use it can avail it using search-as-you-type online and a write-in option on paper.