Health Minister vows to defend NI adoption law
Northern Ireland Health Minister Edwin Poots says that he will challenge a High Court ruling which deemed the country’s stance on same-sex couples adopting unlawful.
Currently, in Northern Ireland homosexual individuals can adopt children but same-sex couples in a civil partnership cannot.
High Court ruling
Mr Justice Treacy ruled that those in civil partnerships were being discriminated against by this policy and argued that it is “irrational and plainly unlawful”.
The High Court judgment was issued in response to a challenge to adoption laws made by the NI Human Rights Commission.
Appeal
Health Minister Edwin Poots said that his department’s stance would not be changed by the judgment and that he would be challenging it.
Mr Poots stated: “It is my intention to urgently appeal this judgment and I am taking this action with a heavy heart.
“I have already publicly declared my intention to reform Northern Ireland adoption law because reform is much needed and long overdue.
“This judicial review has already delayed plans to introduce a new Adoption and Children Bill in the Assembly and I fear that this will lead to further delay”.
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