Catholic adoption agencies can turn away gay couples, rules High Court 4

Governance | Gareth Jones | 17 Mar 2010

Catholic Care (Diocese of Leeds) has won its High Court case against the Charity Commission, opening up the prospect that it will be able to continue to exclude gay couples from using its adoption services.

Both the Commission and the Charity Tribunal had rejected the charity’s attempts to change its objects in order to circumnavigate the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007.

However, the High Court has ruled that the charity was correct in arguing that it could be exempt under Regulation 18 of the Act, which holds that discrimination can occur if it is in pursuit of the organisation’s charitable objectives.

The Charity Commission will now be forced to review its original decision.

The Right Reverend Arthur Roche, Bishop of Leeds, said: “We look forward to producing evidence to the Charity Commission to support the position that we have consistently taken through this process that without being able to use this exemption children without families would be seriously disadvantaged.”

Catholic Care had been the only one of the UK’s 11 Catholic adoption agencies to continue its fight against the regulations.

Directory: Charity Commission

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Jackie Nunns
CEO
Kids' City
24 Mar 2010

It is quite a nonsense to be considering the sexual orientation of potential adoptees over the prospective benefits of a permanent home for children currently in temporary care.

The bible also requires us to stone adulterers but we seem to have moved on from that......

[Reply]

Jane Allinson

18 Mar 2010

I will have to read this case. If Catholic Care is purely privately funded, I have no problem with this decision, but if taxpayers' money is being used to promote irrational religion-based discrimination, I will be very unhappy indeed.

[Reply]

Carl Allen
none
none
17 Mar 2010

Why did the Charity Commission and the Tribunal get it wrong on a simple matter of equity and equality?

[Reply]

Tony Ford
Trustee
PL Trust
17 Mar 2010

I'm delighted at this news.

[Reply]

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