Monday 22 October 2007
Christian Magistrate in Legal Appeal over Christian Conscience
ANDREW McClintock, a magistrate on the Family Panel was in Court on 22nd October asking to be excused from cases where he may have to place children into same-sex households.
Mr McClintock, a Christian, was represented at the Employment Appeal Tribunal in London by Paul Diamond, Barrister, and the case was expected to last one day. He appealed against the decision of the Sheffield Employment Tribunal.
On 6th February
2006, Mr. McClintock was forced to resign from membership of the
Family Panel as he felt unable to place children in a same sex
household, and the court refused to allow him to be screened from
those cases. Mr McClintock felt there was a conflict of law as he
felt the welfare of the child was best served by placing him or her
in a family with a mother and a father.
A full report on this case and its implications will be emailed as soon as the Court has handed down its judgement.
Andrea Minichiello Williams