‘Eugenie Freeman and Emily Halcrow explain how an employee’s right to their beliefs can be balanced against an employer’s duty to prevent discrimination.’
Kingsley Napley Employment Law Blog, 20th March 2025
Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk
‘In R (Leger) v Secretary of State for Education [2025] EWHC 665 (Admin), Ms Gladwys Leger was a teacher at Bishop Justus Church of England School [5]. She is “a born-again ‘conservative’ Roman Catholic” who believes that biological sex is immutable and should not be tampered with and that sexual relationships should only exist within a marriage between a man and a woman [8]. She brought a claim arising from her dismissal from the school.’
Law & Religion UK, 24th March 2025
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘The disposal options for unwanted baptismal fonts were reviewed in an earlier post, which reached the following conclusions:
There is an important distinction between the treatment of the font bowl and its plinth;
Canon F1 relates to use of the bowl of the font in church;.
There is no restriction in ecclesiastical law on the burial of a font in the churchyard, though this is often the disposal option of last resort;
There is a legacy of poorly-sited fonts which can result in health and safety issues, and problems in access and their liturgical use.
In the recent judgment Re St. Paul Heslington [2025] ECC Yor 1, the Petitioners sought to dispose of a nineteenth century font which, as part of a major reordering in 1973, had been placed outside the church and used as a plant holder; in its place was “a bold stainless steel font (the “New Font”), surmounted by a dove” [3]. Unsurprisingly, the condition of the Original Font deteriorated and in 2022 all its salvageable parts were brought into the church (i.e. the bowl and the shattered remains of the plinth and lower section) [8].’
Law & Religion UK, 21st March 2025
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘In ABC v General Medical Council [2025] EWHC 242 (Admin), the appellant, a doctor, appealed under s.40 Medical Act 1983 against a determination of the Medical Practitioners’ Tribunal, which had found proved that between 2012 and January 2019, he had physically abused his children using corporal punishment and had decided to strike him off the register. He was suspended pending the outcome of the appeal [1].’
Law & Religion UK, 8th February 2025
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘On 31 January 2025, the Church in Wales issued the Press Release Discerning the future of same-sex blessings in the Church in Wales. The CiW introduced a time-limited provision in October 2021 which is due to expire in September 2026 after which the options include: allowing the provision to lapse; extending the current blessings; or taking the significant step of introducing a formal service of marriage for same-sex couples.’
Law & Religion UK, 6th February 2025
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘Only three consistory court judgments were circulated in January 2025; these included: the application of the tort of nuisance; the replacement of condemned wall-mounted heaters with a new boiler and wet system; and a burial plot that had been reserved by two families. However, this review also includes: CDM Decisions and Safeguarding; CFCE Determinations; and links to other posts relating to ecclesiastical law.’
Law & Religion UK, 31st January 2025
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘On 10 December 2024, the Diocese of St Albans published its action plan in response to the Independent Review into Soul Survivor by Fiona Scolding KC. Building on its initial response from 26 September, the plan outlines changes to be implemented within the Diocese and recommendations for the wider Church of England. Developed over three months of engagement with diocesan governance bodies, the response is issued by the Senior Staff Team. The Press Release is reproduced below, and the full response is here.’
Law & Religion UK, 13th December 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘A former Anglican vicar who admitted raping a child in his parish has been jailed for life with a minimum term of eight years.’
BBC News, 19th November 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘On 21 October 2024, the Secretary of State made The Public Order Act 2023 (Commencement No. 5) (England and Wales) Regulations 2024 which extend to England and Wales; this provides that Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 (offence of interference with access to or provision of abortion services) will come into force on 31 October 2024.’
Law & Religion UK, 23rd October 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘A independent faith school in Hampshire has launched a legal challenge against the government’s plans to introduce VAT on private school fees.’
BBC News, 21st October 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The law on burial and cremation in England and Wales, some of which dates back to the mid-19th century, is complicated and outdated. It has evolved as a patchwork of different laws which apply to different burial grounds depending on who operates them (eg the Church of England, local authorities or private owners). There are also gaps in the law. Burial space is running out, with the situation worst in some urban areas. Grave reuse has long been seen as a solution to this problem, but not all burial grounds are permitted to reuse graves.’
Law & Religion UK, 3rd October 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘In UK courts and elsewhere, it is sometimes necessary to introduce an element of anonymity into the proceedings and their reporting, as in the consistory court judgment Re St. Margaret Ormesby [2024] ECC Nor 5 where, unusually, one of the petitioners expressed concerns on aspects of the judgment which might become known to the joint applicant. Additionally, the “medical harm” criterion of Re Blagdon was considered.’
Law & Religion UK, 30th September 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘The Outcome of the independent review into the culture and practices of Soul Survivor was published at 12pm on 26 September 2024, advance notice and contact details having been given for those who might have needed support.’
Law & Religion UK, 26th September 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘A priest has been given a suspended prison sentence for stealing money from his own church’s donation plates.’
BBC News, 17th September 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘All Saints Spring Park Parochial Church Council v Church Commissioners [2024] UKPC 23 was an appeal by the PCC and the incumbent of All Saints Spring Park under the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council against a scheme made by the Church Commissioners under the Measure. An episcopal visitation in 2016 had concluded that the parish was not financially viable [5], and the Commissioners made a scheme under the Measure to dissolve the parish and divide its area between the neighbouring parishes of St John Shirley and St George Shirley. The incumbent, Revd Yvonne Clarke – who was the first black woman to be ordained deacon in the Church of England and one of the first women to be ordained priest [3] – and the Parochial Church Council had made written representations on the proposal, but the Bishop of Southwark duly approved the scheme in June 2020.’
Law & Religion UK, 31st July 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘Further to the notices relating to Jonathan Fletcher posted by the Diocese of Southwark and the Metropolitan Police, it is perhaps timely to include a link to the Attorney General’s Note, Contempt of court and social media.’
Law & Religion UK, 14th July 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘An inquiry into the running of a prestigious private school said it uncovered a string of “serious abuse allegations” committed against pupils by monks and staff within the last decade.’
The Guardian, 12th July 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘In the recent judgment Re St. Mary Shotesham [2024] ECC Nor 4, the petitioner sought to introduce a memorial stone into the churchyard of St Mary’s, Shotesham. The points at issue were whether the depiction of the Star of David at the top of the stone infringed the Diocesan Churchyard Regulations issued by Arlow Ch in 2016 and, if so, whether a faculty should nevertheless be granted.’
Law & Religion UK, 9th July 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra was called to testify on Thursday on behalf of the Vatican secretariat of state in a British civil proceeding brought against the Vatican by an Italian-British financier who was involved in the transactions over a London property.’
The Guardian, 4th July 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Re J (Blood Transfusion: Older Child: Jehovah’s Witnesses) [2024] EWHC 1034 (Fam) is a characteristically thoughtful judgment from Cobb J, concerning whether authorisation should be given to provide a 17 year old Jehovah’s Witness with blood products in a planned operation. In analysing the legal framework, Cobb J was taken to the decision of the Court of Appeal in E v Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and F v Somerset NHS Foundation Trust [2021] EWCA Civ 1888 (“E and F”). He resisted, however, the submission by the Trust that the decision set out the proposition that there can be a point in cases involving the medical treatment of those under that 18 that “the discretionary powers on the court to intervene convert into a duty on the court to intervene to preserve the young person’s life” (paragraph 33).’
Mental Capacity Law and Policy, 12th May 2024
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