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

17 Mar 2010 News

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.

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.

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