Gender segregation guidelines to be reviewed as David Cameron steps into row for the first time The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has ruled the type of segregation proposed by the vice-chancellors" body was "not permissible" under gender equality laws. A spokesman for UUK said they would also take new legal advice on the guidelines, which set out in a case study how universities should practice segregation if it was demanded on religious grounds. "We are now working with senior legal counsel and the Equality and Human Rights Commission to review both our case study and the commission's guidance to ensure that they are consistent and clear for universities," the spokesman said. For the avoidance of any doubt, we are not talking here about enforced segregation. It is very hard to see any university agreeing to a request for segregation that was not voluntary and did not have the broad support of those attending. He added that legal advice from a QC, Fenella Morris, had previously indicated that their guidance was "correct and provides an appropriate foundation for lawful decision-making." Chris Moos, the secretary of London School of Economics" secular society, which has been opposing the UUK guidelines, said he had yet to be convinced that latest moves would lead to a firm ban on segregation. Mr Moos, a PhD student, said: "Surely a discriminatory guideline does should be withdrawn entirely? We should never accept a policy that would institutionalise and allow religious, national or racial segregation. "It is outrageous that the EHRC are now suggesting that a policy that would allow for gender segregation merely needs "clarification" and greater "consistency." It really looks like the EHRC are hedging their bets. The official guidance set out how sex segregation could be acceptable as long as men and women were seated side by side rather than with women at the back. Yesterday Mark Hammond, the chief executive of the EHRC, said: "Equality law permits gender segregation in premises that are permanently or temporarily being used for the purposes of an organised religion where its doctrines require it.