Networked Knowledge - Media Report

[This edited version of the report has been prepared by Dr Robert N Moles]

UK homepage
Article: Australian law on miscarriages of justice
Article: UK law on miscarriages of justice
Article: USA law on miscarriages of justice

On 26 February 2008 Andrew Pierce of the Daily Telegraph reported “Foster couple challenges homosexuality laws”.  

Lawyers are to seek a judicial review of a decision by social workers to ban a Christian couple from fostering young children because they refused to sign up to new gay equality laws. The action against Labour-controlled Derby City Council is likely to become a test case for the Government's Sexual Orientation Regulations. Social workers rejected an application by Eunice and Owen Johns, who have four grown-up children, to be foster parents because they refused to agree to tell any children in their care that homosexual lifestyles were acceptable. The couple, who have been married for 39 years, had applied to offer weekend respite care for foster children under the age of 10.

But the adoption panel was also unhappy that the couple was adamant that any child in their home would have to go to church with them on Sundays. Mrs Johns, a retired nurse, is a Sunday school teacher. The adoption panel has admitted in internal documents that Mr and Mrs Johns could feel that they had been "discriminated against on religious grounds". Mrs Johns said: "I would love any child, black or white, gay or straight. But I cannot understand why sexuality is an issue when we are talking about boys and girls under the age of 10."

The case has been taken up by the Christian Legal Centre which is to seek a judicial review if the council does not reverse its decision. A spokesman for Derby City council said: "Our first duty is to the children in our care, some of whom are very vulnerable. There is a formal appeal process for anyone unhappy with the panel decision."

Top of Page