Here's a new story involving disabled people, taxpayers' money, apparent scientific deception, a biotechnology company looking for profits and the NHS.
The NHS is close to introducing a new test for pregnant women that will make it much easier to detect and search out any babies with Down's Syndrome (DS) (see previous CMF blog posts here and here).
In the News
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September 13th, 2016
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September 13th, 2016
According to Ofsted, Chobham Academy in the London Borough of Newham is an outstanding school. It is important to begin with that observation, because the school’s leaders, governors and sponsor (Harris Federation) clearly have high expectations of pupils and teachers, and academic attainment is high. The Academy’s vision works: its ethos is admirable; its culture exemplary.
Last year’s Ofsted inspection notes: “Pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic groups. The biggest groups are Black African and those of Asian heritage. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average.” To be rated ‘outstanding’ across the board, when the ethnic intake is complex and the number of disadvantaged pupils is well above the national average, is something to celebrate indeed.
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September 13th, 2016
The welfare of a child born to a same sex couple requires the revocation of an adoption order, a senior family law judge has declared.
The couple in question entered a civil partnership, and later converted this into a marriage. In a High Court ruling, Sir James Munby referred to them as ‘X’ and ‘Y’.
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September 13th, 2016
The UK’s first LGBTQIA+ chaplaincy has been officially launched by the Bishop of St Asaph.
Seventy people joined the Rt Revd Gregory Cameron for a Eucharist service to mark the formal launch, at St Grwst Church, Llanrwst yesterday (September, 12).
The chaplaincy will be led by the Revd Sarah Hildreth-Osborn and will have a base at St Grwst Church,where Sarah is the Vicar. Two other churches in the diocese, St Peter’s in Holywell and St Giles in Wrexham will also host regular LGBTQIA+ services.
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September 13th, 2016
Scientists say early experiments suggest it may one day be possible to make babies without using eggs.
They have succeeded in creating healthy baby mice by tricking sperm into believing they were fertilising normal eggs.
The findings in Nature Communications, could, in the distant future, mean women can be removed from the baby-making process, say the researchers.
For now, the work helps to explain some of the details of fertilisation.
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September 13th, 2016
Should it be a crime to hate women? This unfortunate question is thrown up by the news that misogyny might soon become a hate crime across England and Wales. Two months ago, Nottingham Police launched a trial ‘crackdown on sexism’, investigating cases of, among other things, ‘verbal harassment’ and ‘unwanted advances’ towards women. Now top coppers from across the country are looking into criminalising misogyny elsewhere.
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September 13th, 2016
While Scottish public life has grown steadily more secular, the issue of religion in modern schools is no less potent. Until now it has been a matter for each parent to decide whether to withdraw their child from religious activities if it conflicts with their beliefs.
The Humanist Society of Scotland (HSS) is now seeking a judicial review of the Scottish Government’s policy not to allow 16 to 18-year-olds to make the decision for themselves.
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September 13th, 2016
Victorians may be able to access voluntary euthanasia in the near future, after Health Minister Jill Hennessy declared she supports it and that the parliament and Labor government had to look at the issue closely.
Earlier this year a cross-party parliamentary inquiry recommended Victoria introduce voluntary euthanasia.
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September 13th, 2016
Federal Cabinet has signed off on plans to hold the same-sex marriage plebiscite on February 11 next year, and to allocate public funding for both the "yes" and "no" campaigns.
The proposal will be put to Coalition MPs at their party room meeting in Canberra today and will increase pressure on Labor to declare its hand and state whether it will support the legislation needed to hold the plebiscite.
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September 12th, 2016
A new study on euthanasia trends in Belgium, which shows an increase in reported cases since legislation was introduced, provides lessons for countries that have legalized assisted dying. The research is published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).