Category - anti-discrimination laws

Church resistance to equality 'self-defeating'

Press Office — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:52:43 +0100

Commenting on Church of England and Roman Catholic lobbying for "the right to discriminate" in relation to employment and the new Equality Bill, Simon Barrow, co-director of the religion and societ

Large churches lobbying hard for their 'right' to discriminate

staff writers — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:32:36 +0100

C of E and the Catholic representatives have told the House of Commons they will fight to maintain their powers to discriminate in cases of employment and against limits proposed in the Equality Bill.

The Equality Bill 2008-9 and church responses to it

Savi Hensman — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:56:08 +0100

The Equality Bill 2008-2009, which will extend both to England and Wales, and to Scotland, covers age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. It also requires public authorities to do more to tackle the effects of socio-economic disadvantage. The Bill has received a hostile response among some religious groups, while the response of the large churches (including the Church of England) has been to welcome its principal aims while contesting aspects of its detail - particularly in terms of lobbying for opt-outs and provisions which would allow continued discrimination on grounds of sexuality and gender by faith bodies on grounds of 'upholding beliefs'. In this paper, Savitri Hensman assesses the issues and suggests that the churches need to move forward positively, on theological and practical grounds, in affirming comprehensive equalities in the public sphere. She also tackles the harm that discrimination and inequality causes, not least to the most vulnerable and those suffering prejudice.

Savi Hensman

Cardinal launches valedictory attack on UK equalities legislation

staff writers — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:45:11 +0000

In a London lecture, Catholic Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor has claimed that UK anti-discrimination legislation is being used to limit freedom of religion “in unacceptable ways”.

Religion, belief and non-discrimination law

Simon Barrow — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:32:51 +0000

Over the past eleven years, the British government has passed a number of laws that specifically tackle, or include directly in their provisions, protection of the freedom of ‘religion or belief’ – based on the right to hold or not to hold religious or other philosophical beliefs. This paper looks specifically at how ‘religion or belief’ is defined, particularly in relation to the Equality Act 2006 / 2007, and locates this within the wider policy-led and academic attempts to define ‘religion’. Looking at some of the implications of the definitions applied, it goes on to summarise key elements of current law on non-discrimination, drawing on public sources and examples from the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Nothing in this background paper constitutes legal advice or should be read as constituting such advice. If you have legal questions or requirements, please consult a qualified lawyer.

Simon Barrow

Catholics encouraged to follow 'inspirational' non-discrimination policy

staff writers — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Catholic leaders in England, Wales and Scotland are being encouraged not to resist the Sexual Orientation Regulations (SORs) with which their adoption agencies will be required to comply from April 2007. Instead they are being urged to follow an ‚Äúinspirational‚Äù example from the United States.