Legal action launched in row between National Theatre and lesbian group – Daily Telegraph

‘Legal action is being launched in a dispute between the National Theatre and a group of lesbian claimants.’

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Daily Telegraph, 8th December 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Education, street protests and injunctions: Afsar – Law & Religion UK

‘Birmingham City Council v Afsar & Ors [2019] EWHC 3217 (QB) was a claim by the Council for injunctions to restrict street protests about Anderton Park Infant and Junior School and to prohibit online abuse of teachers at that school.’

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Law & Religion UK, 2nd December 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Boy, 17, sentenced over London night bus harassment – The Guardian

‘A 17-year-old boy has been sentenced to a four-month youth rehabilitation order for his part in the harassment and intimidation of two women on a late-night London bus in an incident which became the focus of concerns about the targeting of LGBTQ+ people.’

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The Guardian, 29th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Birmingham anti-LGBT school protesters had ‘misinterpreted’ teachings, judge says – The Guardian

Posted November 27th, 2019 in demonstrations, equality, homosexuality, injunctions, Islam, news, school children by sally

‘A high court judge has said activists protesting against LGBT equality lessons had “grossly misrepresented” what was being taught to children as he ruled that they would be permanently banned from demonstrating directly outside a Birmingham primary school.’

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The Guardian, 26th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Civil partnerships legislation – unfinished business – Law & Religion UK

The draft Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (“the Regulations”) was the first item of the secondary legislation within the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 (“the Act”) to achieve the necessary approval of both Houses under the affirmative resolution procedure. It was also the last item of debated business before parliament was dissolved on 6 November. Through section 2(2) of the Act the regulations were subject to a “sunset clause” which required them to be in force by the end of December, and as such, only limited time was available for its scrutiny and approval; this left a number of items of unfinished business, and these are summarized below.

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Law & Religion UK, 18th November 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Stephen Port: jury to decide whether police blunders were a result of homophobia – Daily Telegraph

‘A jury will look at whether “prejudice” played a part in how police initially treated the deaths of serial killer Stephen Port’s victims, a coroner has ruled.’

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Daily Telegraph, 15th November 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Why The Legal Definition Of Consent Fails Victims – Rights Info

Posted November 1st, 2019 in consent, deceit, equality, homosexuality, interpretation, news, rape, sexual offences, victims, women by sally

‘A British man called Jason Lawrance is appealing his conviction for raping a woman. The woman had willingly had unprotected sex with him – he told her he’d had a vasectomy – but she pressed charges after he texted her to say he had lied.’

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Rights Info, 31st October 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org

John Bowers QC’s Employment Law Blog: October 2019 – Littleton Chambers

Posted October 31st, 2019 in adoption, charities, equality, freedom of expression, homosexuality, housing, Judaism, news by sally

‘In R (ota Z) v LB of Hackney & Agudas Israel Housing Assoc Ltd [2019] EWCA Civ 1099, the court considered a challenge to the housing policies of a charitable provider of social housing in Hackney. Accommodation was allocated by the Housing Association only to members of the Orthodox Jewish community in the Stamford Hill area of London. The Divisional Court found that ‘there are very high levels of poverty and deprivation [amongst the Orthodox community], with associated low levels of home ownership … there is a strong correlation between the evidenced poverty and deprivation and the religion’. It also found that the arrangements for allocating housing which placed Orthodox Jews in a primary position to enable them both to avoid the disadvantages and to meet the needs. This would be unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 unless there was an appropriate exception.’

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Littleton Chambers, 21st October 2019

Source: www.littletonchambers.com

Court bid to stop LGBT lesson protests at Birmingham school starts – The Guardian

‘City council asks high court for permanent exclusion zone around Anderton Park primary.’

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The Guardian, 14th October 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Alan Turing law: Gay, unjustly convicted – and now denied a pardon – BBC News

‘Two years ago the “Turing law” was passed to right a historic injustice by pardoning gay men convicted in the past because of their sexuality. But fewer than 200 living people have had their convictions wiped out so far. What’s going wrong?’

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BBC News, 30th September 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Christian campaigner challenges LGBT school protest ruling – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 12th, 2019 in demonstrations, freedom of expression, homosexuality, internet, news, school children by tracey

‘A christian campaigner will this week challenge a High Court ruling, which he believes bans anyone from criticising on social media teaching by staff at a primary school at the centre of a row over LGBT relationships.’

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Daily Telegraph, 11th September 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Homophobic hate crime charges fall despite soaring reports – BBC News

‘Fewer people are being prosecuted for homophobic hate crimes despite rising numbers of potential victims coming forward, figures suggest.’

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BBC News, 11th September 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judge rejected asylum seeker who did not have gay ‘demeanour’ – The Guardian

Posted August 22nd, 2019 in asylum, homosexuality, immigration, judges, news by sally

‘A UK immigration judge rejected the asylum claim of a man from a country where homosexuality is illegal in part because he did not have a gay “demeanour”, a lawyer has revealed.’

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The Guardian, 21st August 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Forthcoming JCPC challenge to same-sex marriage prohibition in Bermuda – Law & Religion UK

‘Does a law prohibiting same-sex marriage violate the right to manifest one’s religion or belief? This novel argument will soon be tested in the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC), where the Government of Bermuda will be appealing against successive decisions by the island’s first instance and appellate courts to strike down legislation which prohibited same-sex marriage.’

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Law & Religion UK, 30th July 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Gay people being subjected to forced marriages in UK, police warn amid nationwide crackdown – The Independent

‘Gay people are being subjected to forced marriages to spouses of the opposite sex by families in the UK, police have warned amid a national crackdown.’

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The Independent, 16th July 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Chambers “must publish” data on sexual orientation and religion – Legal Futures

Posted July 9th, 2019 in barristers, diversity, homosexuality, internet, Legal Services Board, news by sally

‘The Legal Services Board (LSB) has approved a new rule requiring chambers to include sexual orientation and religion in the diversity data they publish on their websites, whether or not all of their barristers agree.’

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Legal Futures, 9th July 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

University conducted flawed disciplinary proceedings in removing MA student from social work over disapproval of homosexual acts: Court of Appeal – Local Government Lawyer

‘A university conducted flawed disciplinary proceedings when it removed an MA student from a social work course for fitness to practice reasons, after he expressed religions views on a public social media platform disapproving of homosexual acts.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 5th July 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Christian wins appeal after being thrown off social work course – The Guardian

‘A devout Christian thrown off a university social work course after being accused of posting derogatory comments about gay and bisexual people on Facebook has won the latest round of a legal battle.’

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The Guardian, 3rd July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Same-sex and single-parent adoption and religious discrimination: Page – Law & Religion UK

‘On 19 June 2019, the Employment Appeal Tribunal handed down two separate judgments relating to the same appellant, Mr Richard Page: Page v Lord Chancellor & Anor [2019] UKEAT 0304 18 1906 and Page v NHS Trust Development Authority [2019] UKEAT 0183 18 1906. The appeals related to Mr Page’s religious beliefs in relation to his position as a magistrate and as a Non-Executive Director of an NHS Trust, respectively; and the EAT dismissed the appeals in both cases. From the legal perspective, the two cases were not “linked” as such because there was no cross-referencing between them. However, the action taken by the Lord Chancellor’s Department resulted, indirectly, in action being instituted by the NHS, and the following note relates to both judgments.’

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Law & Religion UK, 24th June 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

NHS workers including nurses and cleaners raped and groped at work, finds new report – The Independent

‘NHS workers including nurses and cleaners have suffered “serious” sexual harassment in the workplace, including groping and rape, a new report has found.’

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The Independent, 20th June 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk