Christian Legal Centre
Christian Legal Centre
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The Christian Legal Centre (CLC) is a legal organization which was set up in 2007[1] to provide legal support for Christians in the United Kingdom and lobby on their behalf.
Since its conception, the CLC has provided legal support in a number of high-profile cases in the UK. Notable examples include:
- Lydia Playfoot, a schoolgirl who brought a High Court action against Millais School in Horsham, accusing he school of discriminating against Christians by preventing her from wearing a purity ring as a sign of chastity.[2] The case failed, and Miss Playfoot's father was ordered to pay £12,000 towards the school's legal costs.[3]
- Emily Mapfuwa, a Christian who launched a private prosecution against the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead for exhibiting a statue by Terence Koh depicting Jesus with an erection,[4] despite having never actually visited the exhibition.[5] The case was eventually brought to an end by Northumbria Crown Prosecution Service, which concluded that there was no case to answer.
- Hybrid embryo research: The CLC and Comment on Reproductive Ethics (CORE) were refused permission to apply for a judicial review to overturn the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's decision to allow laboratory testing of hybrid embryos. Mrs Justice Dobbs at the High Court in London ruled that the application was "totally without merit", and ordered the CLC to pay costs amounting to some £20,000.[6]
- Gary McFarlane, a counsellor for Relate (a relationship support charity) who was sacked for refusing to offer counselling and therapy to same-sex couples. The charity admitted to a charge of wrongful dismissal. Judgements on further claims of unfair dismissal, harassment and discrimination on the grounds of religion are expected in the next few days.[7]
See also
References
- ^ Case Wins and Launch of Christian Legal Centre (Lawyers Christian Fellowship)
- ^ 'Purity' ring case in High Court (BBC News)
- ^ 'Chastity ring' girl loses case (BBC News)
- ^ Christian sues gallery over 'blasphemous' erection (Guardian)
- ^ Jesus' penis complainer never saw the exhibit (The Freethinker)
- ^ 'Hybrid embryo' legal block lost (BBC News)
- ^ Charity 'wrong' to sack Christian counsellor (Independent)