Lillian Ladele, a Christian registrar at Islington Council, was successful in her religious discrimination case. When the Civil Partnership Act 2004 was passed, Lillian Ladele realised that she would have to perform civil partnership ceremonies. She asked her employees whether she could be excused from performing the ceremonies but her managers refused her request. Lillian Ladele found it increasingly difficult to work in an environment where her views were ignored. After several months of being discriminated against for her position on civil partnerships, and after being threatened with dismissal, Lillian Ladele took her case to the Employment Tribunal. This case was supported by the Christian Institute. The tribunal found in favour of Lillian Ladele. However, Islington Council is appealing the decision.

Links to the Christian Institute coverage of the case

http://www.christian.org.uk/news/20080711/lillian-ladele-hits-the-headlines/

http://www.christian.org.uk/news/20080715/islington-to-appeal-registrar-judgment/

Links to media reports

BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7499248.stm

Channel 4: http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/law_order/christian+registrar+ wins+right+to+refuse+gay+civil+partnerships/2328972

Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1033955/Victory-Christian-registrar- bullied-refusing-perform-sinful-gay-weddings.html

Daily Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2280484/Christian-registrar-who-refused-to- conduct-gay-weddings-wins-case.html

Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/registrar-wins- right-to-refuse-gay-weddings-865042.html

The Times: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4312447.ece

 Link to Christian Legal Centre summary of the case

http://www.christianlegalcentre.com/index.php?tid=3

Source: Christian Legal Centre

PC Graham Cogman has taken his police force to an Employment Tribunal on grounds of harassment because of his traditional Christian values.

Councillor Alan Craig of the Christian Peoples Alliance challenged the BBC over its decision to change the CPAs political party broadcast speech just days before it was due to be aired.

On the 8th of April 2008, the Christian Legal Centre (CLC) and Comment on Reproductive Ethics (CORE) filed papers seeking judicial review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s (HFEA) decision to grant licences to Newcastle University and King's College London to use animal-human hybrids.

The legal challenge is on two grounds. First, CLC and CORE are arguing that the HFEA acted beyond its powers when it granted the licences because the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 does not permit licenses for the creation of animal human hybrids. Secondly, the 1990 HFE Act provides that licences cannot be granted unless the HFEA is satisfied that the research is necessary or desirable for one of a number of specified purposes and the HFEA is satisfied that any proposed use of embryos is necessary for the purposes of the research.

The CLC and CORE are arguing that the proposed techniques are unnecessary and undesirable as a result of technical advances and that the proposed techniques do not work and raise new scientific problems which will make the research meaningless.

There is no legal internal process either in the 1990 Act or in the new Bill for interested persons to object to or appeal against the grant of a license and ask for reconsideration. In view of this lack of public accountability, the only way of challenging the HFEA’s decisions is by way of judicial review.

The CLC and CORE have to be granted leave to proceed to a judicial review hearing. They are also applying for a protected costs order so that the court can decide whether to impose a limit on costs paid to the HFEA, if the challenge is unsuccessful. Please pray.

Links to media reports on the case
 
BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7323298.stm
 
Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-558337/Christian-group-launches- High-Court-bid-prove-creation-human-animal-embryos-illegal.html

BBC Radio 4 Today programme: http://www.ccfon.org/mediacentre.php?avid=59&avap=1
 
Links to lay summary of the Newcastle project and the King’s College Project
 
http://www.hfea.gov.uk/en/1652.html

http://www.hfea.gov.uk/en/1653.html

Source: Christian Legal Centre

Reverend Masih presents a weekly Christian radio show for Asians.

On Tuesday 2 September at Gateshead Magistrates Court lawyers for Emily Mapfuwa supported by the Christian Legal Centre commenced a case against the Baltic Flour Mill Visual Arts Trust known as the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art following the exhibition of an obscene statue.

More than nine million people die of hunger each year including five million children.

The Conservative Party claimed the UK Government is neglecting a forgotten generation of teenagers with a broken society leading many to drug and alcohol abuse at a young age.

Professor Paul Goddard former president of the Royal Society of Medicine accused the Government of leading the National Health Service into catastrophic meltdown.

The Israeli cabinet has decided that Israel will do whatever is necessary to prevent Iran getting nuclear weapons including bombing Iran Israeli newspaper Maariv reported on Friday.

With food energy and fuel bills rising inflation doubled in six months and the threat of two million unemployed by Christmas UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling said current economic conditions are arguably the worst for 60 years and will get worse.

Cheltenham Racecourse in the South West of England resounded to the sound of poetry and rock guitars rather than horses hooves as the Greenbelt Christian Arts Festival opened to the gloriously uncertain climate of an English summer last month.

A new coalition called Accord which is being launched today Monday September 1 is calling on the British Children Schools and Families Secretary of State Ed Balls to stop publicly funded faith schools from discriminating against students and teachers on the grounds of their beliefs.

Government ministers in the United Kingdom are being urged to stop faith schools in England selecting pupils and staff on the basis of their religion.

A TV drama set in Auschwitz will next week BBC2 Wednesday 3 September 9pm depict an incident in which rabbis agreed to put God on trial for their peoples sufferings.

At least 50000 women have fled the Church every year since 1989 a Derby University sociologist has said.

An unexpected legacy has postponed staff cuts at BMS World Mission the home and overseas mission agency for Great Britains Baptist Unions.

A leading Roman Catholic bishop has urged congregations and priests to reexamine what it means to be Catholic in the light of the Churchs falling attendance and vocations.

Two decades after the collapse of one of Americas most popular tele evangelism ministries its controversial founders son is a missionary with a radically different style.

The Church of England is undertaking a major overhaul of the marriage preparation it offers to engaged couples in a bid to better reflect their number one priority on the big da the vows.

Confidential guidelines have been issued by bishops to warn clergy of the scam which has exploded since a Government crackdown on sham marriages was introduced in 2004.

A man was convicted on Wednesday of running a gun factory that converted replica guns into live weapons which have been linked to criminal networks in a series of fatal shootings.

Primary school children aged as young as four should be forced to undergo sex education regardless of parents wishes a group of ten MPs has said.

Despite protests and divisions at the recent Lambeth Conference Anglican leaders have succeeded in rebuilding trust and relationships says the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Reports from eastern India of burning Christian homes murdered pastors and massive destruction of Christian property continued for a sixth day.

A London court has convicted three men of a number of terrorist offences including a teenager considered by the Prosecution to be the youngest terrorist arrested and prosecuted in the UK.

Laws to control the movement of convicted child sex offenders will be tightened Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said on Wednesday.

Delirious? Britains highest profile Christian rock band are to go their separate ways at the end of next year.

Todd Bentley the controversial evangelist at the centre of revival meetings in Lakeland Florida has stepped down from leading his Fresh Fires organisation after filing for separation from his wife.

An international gathering of women theologians has issued a rallying call for churches to transform the economic and political systems that increase poverty and damage the environment.

The worlds largest and most inclusive fellowship of churches is 60 this weekend.

An employment tribunal has decided in favour of a registrar who refused to officiate at partnerships for same sex couples because of her Christian faith.

A new Methodist Youth Participation Strategy YPS is set to develop new forms of church and could accelerate the number of young people making vocational commitments.

A court in Saudi Arabia is reported to be preparing to hear a plea for divorce from an eight year old girl who has been married off to a man in his 50s.

Eight years ago Gospel for Asia missionary Sabal Chintan and his wife Medini felt the Lords call to an area of Uttar Pradesh India where thousands of Dalits Untouchables reside.

The future for Pakistans minority Christian community is an uncertain one after the resignation of Pervez Musharraf this week said Glenn Penner of Voice of the Martyrs Canada.

Figures released by the Conservatives showed that 70 per cent of NHS trusts called in pest controllers at least 50 times between January 2006 and March 2008.

A lack of adult role models is driving young people into gangs according to the Princes Trust.

British sportsmen have set a good example in Beijing with one of their best Olympic performances in years but in the UK increasing numbers of young people are ending up in hospital for drug abuse as the price of heroin cocaine and ecstasy drops.

The second episode of the Channel 4 reality show Make Me a Christian threw its participants some big challenges according to Revd George Hargreaves one of the series team of minister mentors.

An initiative to crack down on the illegal sale of knives to under 18s is being launched.

Newham councillor Alan Craig last night accused Tablighi Jamaat the controversial Islamic sect behind plans for a giant mosque near the site of the 2012 Olympics of breaking its promises about keeping local people informed.

The number of people out of work rose by 60000 in the three months to June.

Students who started university in the UK last year can expect to owe more than 17500 pounds by the time they leave, according to an annual poll on debt.

The Archbishop of Rwanda talks about the genocide and his optimism for the future

Over a third of 16 to 25 year olds say they have no adult role models a Princes Trust report has found.

A renowned atheistic philosopher who stunned his peers four years ago by abandoning atheism has accused the atheist scientist Richard Dawkins of becoming a secularist bigot.

Christian leaders received both praise and criticism at last weeks 17th International AIDS Conference in Mexico City.

The faith of 6000 young people assembled in Leipzig eastern Germany has prompted the Baptist World Alliance BWA President to dismiss ideas of Europe as the graveyard of Christianity.

Scarcely had the Archbishop of Canterbury emerged encouraged observers said elated from the Lambeth Conference than a newly revealed correspondence sparked further dispute.

With the Olympics starting persecution watchdog Release International is inviting Christians the world over to join in a month long strategic prayer campaign to protect the unregistered church in China as it faces the prospect of even greater persecution during the Games.

A lack of parent and adult role models is driving young people into gangs according to the Princes Trust.

An atheist lesbian and playboy are just some of the non Christians who agreed to participate in Bible studies and Christian mentoring as part of a new television series that will be broadcast on Channel Four over the next three Sundays.

Georgian and separatist South Ossetian forces have exchanged fire again near the town of Tskhinvali wounding several people officials say.

The cleanliness of most NHS hospitals in England is threatened by frequent invasions of rats fleas bedbugs flies and cockroaches a report claims.

That sounded like an interesting session here at the 17th International AIDS Conference in Mexico City so fellow He Intends Victory board member Dan Davis joined me as we meandered through the crowd of 22000 delegates in the CentroBanamex Convention Center to find Room SR2 and listen to the experts

Hussein a 28 year old Somali teacher who had converted from the Muslim faith to Christianity was confronted by Muslims who demanded to know if he faced Mecca when he prayed.

The National Patient Safety Agency said 42 deaths last year were linked to poor nutritional care in NHS hospitals.

Heavy drinking is said to be responsible for a quarter of all deaths among men in the UK aged between 16 and 24.

Discipline in UK schools is worsening as children are no longer learning moral values at home said Philip Parkin of the education professionals union Voice.

In a report on gang related crime linked to drugs guns and knives Churches Together in England recommended churches to reach out to young people in inner cities and encouraged partnerships between churches police community groups and local authorities.

Fears of an Islamic takeover in the UK are groundless the national director of mission agency Interserve has said.

Catholic and pro life opposition to the Governments Embryology Bill was an important factor behind Labours defeat in Glasgow East the victorious SNP candidate has claimed.

Anglican bishops will today consider a covenant setting out core doctrine which all of the denominations 38 provinces will be expected to abide by.

The Anglican Communion has remained intact after 670 of its bishops completed their most contentious day of discussions yesterday The Times reports.

On July 24th over six hundred hundred bishops moved slowly and silently behind a banner telling G8 governments to Keep the Promise Halve Poverty by 2015.

One in three Muslim students attending 12 of the United Kingdoms best universities endorse killing in the name of Islam.

Churches across Londons 33 boroughs have united to hold a continuous Prayer for Peace relay throughout August.