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Christian Legal Centre
AbbreviationCLC
FormationDecember 2007
Headquarters70 Wimpole Street, London
Region
United Kingdom
Director
Andrea Williams
Websitechristianconcern.com/about/services/christian-legal-centre/ Edit this at Wikidata

The Christian Legal Centre (CLC), a company founded in December 2007,[1] has acted in a number of high-profile cases on behalf of evangelical Christians in the United Kingdom. Its sister organisation is Christian Concern.[2][3] Observers believe that the centre has adopted tactics from wealthy evangelical groups in the US, notably the Alliance Defense Fund, and raise questions about its funding.[4][5] It opposes homosexuality, same-sex marriage, pre-marital sex, and pornography.[6]

Cases

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Since its inception, the CLC has involved itself in a number of cases in the UK.

2008

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Blasphemy

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In 2008 the CLC represented Emily Mapfuwa, a Christian who began a prosecution of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead for exhibiting a statue by Terence Koh of Jesus with an erection.[7] In a BBC Essex radio interview, Michael Phillips (a CLC solicitor who is also a member of the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship) said that Mapfuwa had never visited the exhibition; she lives over 250 miles (400 km) away, in Brentwood, Essex.[8][9] The case was halted by the Crown Prosecution Service.[10]

Hybrid embryo research

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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 human–animal hybrid embryos. At the High Court in London, Justice Linda Dobbs ruled that the application was without merit and ordered the CLC to pay costs which amounted to about £20,000.[11]

Employment termination for homophobia

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Graham Cogman, a police constable from Norfolk, was fired for sending emails to colleagues in which he quoted biblical passages condemning homosexuality and forwarded information about a group which offered to "cure" homosexuals. Cogman launched a complaint at an employment tribunal, supported by the CLC, claiming harassment due to his religious beliefs. He lost his case.[12]

2010

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Employment termination for homophobia (McFarlane v Relate Avon Ltd)

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Main article: McFarlane v Relate Avon Ltd

Gary McFarlane, a counselor for Relate (a relationship support charity), was fired after raising a conscientious objection to assisting same-sex couples with sexual issues. Relate admitted wrongful dismissal, conceding that McFarlane should have been given notice instead of being summarily dismissed for "gross misconduct". Complaints of unfair dismissal and discrimination on the grounds of religion were dismissed.[13] An appeal of the ruling was dismissed by the High Court in April 2010,[14] and an application to the European Court of Human Rights was unsuccessful.[15]

Employment discrimination for wearing a crucifix

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Shirley Chaplin, a nurse supported by the CLC, made an unsuccessful bid to sue the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust for discrimination because it had moved her to a desk job after she refused to remove a cross necklace when asked to do so on health and safety grounds; hospital dress code prohibits front-line staff from wearing any type of necklace, in case patients try to grab it.[16] The hospital had offered Chaplin a compromise of wearing her cross pinned inside a lapel or pocket. An employment tribunal ruled that they acted reasonably in April 2010, rejecting Chaplin's case.[17] Chaplin tried unsuccessfully to obtain a ruling against the UK government at the European Court of Human Rights.[15][17]

Employment termination for evangelism

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Duke Amachree, a homelessness officer, was fired by the Wandsworth Council for subjecting a client to a "30-minute barrage" of evangelism when he was supposed to be offering her housing advice. The client complained to the council, leading to an investigation. The council said that Amachree revealed "sensitive personal information" about the client in an interview with the Daily Mail after the CLC became involved.[18] The CLC supported Amachree in an unsuccessful legal claim for unfair dismissal, religious discrimination, and breach of contract.[19]

2011: Foster care

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Eunice and Owen Johns, a Christian couple, applied to the Derby City Council to become foster parents. They withdrew their application after a social worker expressed concern when they said they could not tell a child that a homosexual lifestyle was acceptable. The two parties agreed to take the case to the High Court for clarification of the law. The court decided in favour of the city council, saying that laws protecting people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation "should take precedence" over the right not to be discriminated against on religious grounds.[20][21]

2016: Suspension for harassment of Muslim colleague

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Victoria Wasteney, a senior occupational therapist and head of forensic therapy at the John Howard Centre (a mental-health unit of the East London NHS Foundation Trust), was suspended for nine months for "harassing and bullying" a junior Muslim colleague and receivied a written warning after an investigation.[22] Wasteney had received an informal warning for arranging services by her church at the unit at which other staff felt pressured to sing and dance and donate to the church.[23] The CLC supported an appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal, where Judge Eady QC found that Wasteney's treatment was not because of her Christian beliefs but because of her inappropriate behaviour.[23]

2018: Alfie Evans case

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The CLC became involved in the latter stages of the Alfie Evans case. Their involvement was unsuccessful, and was criticised by the judge.[24]

A High Court judge expressed concern about the conduct of CLC consultant Pavel Stroilov during the case. Mr. Justice Hayden described Stroilov as a "fanatical and deluded young man" whose "malign hand" was "inconsistent with the real interests of the parents' case."[25][26][27] The judge accused CLC activists of doing Evans' parents "far more harm than it does them good", and said that their submissions were "littered with vituperation and bile".[26] The CLC submissions, which said that "Alfie's best interests are irrelevant" when compared to his parents' wishes, were described as a "startling proposition" by Justice Hayden.[26] The CLC called the judges' comments "unfair."[28] Mary Holmes, former solicitor for Evans' parents, accused the CLC of exploiting the case for their own benefit.[26]

Three court-of-appeal judges said that a letter from Stroilov to the parents of Alfie Evans was "misleading to the extent of giving the father false advice". The letter advised Evans' father that it would be lawful to remove Alfie from Alder Hey Hospital. The court heard that this led to a confrontation at the hospital in which Alfie was involved, and police were called.[28] An appellate judge said that the letter was "disseminated on social media (presumably with the knowledge of Mr Stroilov)".[29]

2019

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Expulsion from university for homophobia

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Felix Ngole, a student social-care worker, was removed from a course at the University of Sheffield in 2016 after engaging in a Facebook debate where he said that homosexuality was a sin. His comments were deemed homophobic. The High Court upheld the university's decision in 2017,[30] but the Court of Appeal ruled two years later that "the mere expression of religious views about sin does not necessarily connote discrimination."[31][32]

Dismissal from Gloucestershire School for homophobia

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Kristie Higgs, 47, was dismissed for gross misconduct by Farmor’s School in Fairford, Gloucestershire, in 2019 after sharing Facebook posts criticising plans to teach about LGBT+ relationships in primary schools. In 2024, Higgs won the right to appeal her dismissal.[33]

2020

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Employment termination for transphobia and Islamophobia

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The CLC represented teacher Joshua Sutcliffe, who was fired from two schools for misgendering a transgender boy and for comments made about Islam in a YouTube video. Sutcliffe, who blamed the loss of his jobs on the "LGBT+ mafia" and the "Islamic mafia", reached an undisclosed settlement with one of the schools.[34]

Transgender children in school

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Christian parents Nigel and Sally Rowe took legal action after their son saw another boy wearing a dress and was "confused".[35][36] The Rowes received £22,000 for legal costs from the UK's Department for Education.[37]

2021: Employment termination for homophobia

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Magistrate Richard Page was fired for objecting to an adoption application by a same-sex couple, and was also suspended from his role at the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust. After an unsuccessful Court of Appeal challenge against his dismissal which was supported by the CLC, Page was told by Lord Justice Underhill that he had shown himself "incapable of honouring his undertaking" as an unbiased magistrate.[38]

2022

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Cross-wearing at work

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The CLC supported nurse Mary Onuoha, who was victimised for wearing a small cross on duty. She refused to remove the cross, citing the widespread wearing of jewellery and other religious apparel by other staff members. The Employment Tribunal ruled that she had been discriminated against and harassed, saying: "There was no proper explanation as to why those items were permitted but a cross-necklace was not".[39]

Life-support withdrawal

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Main article: Archie Battersbee case

Archie Battersbee, a 12-year-old boy, was diagnosed as brain-dead by the Royal London Hospital. His parents were assisted by the CLC in arguing unsuccessfully that his life support treatment should continue.[40]

2023: Dismissal for homophobia

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Bernard Randall (a chaplain at the independent Trent College boarding school) objected to the school partnering with an LGBT+ charity, refused to engage in training activities involving the charity, and was dismissed in 2019 after being referred to an anti-terrorism programme because of a sermon in which he told students that it was all right to not accept "LGBT ideology". An employment-tribunal judge ruled that safeguarding concerns and a requirement to comply with standards regulations outweighed Randall's right to express his beliefs in a school environment.[41]

Other activities

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The Christian Legal Centre, Christian Concern and the Alliance Defending Freedom launched the Wilberforce Academy, a Christian residential programme, in 2010. The one-week conference trains students and young professionals to apply Christianity to their vocations. Some of its attendees go on to work for the Christian Legal Centre and Christian Concern.[42][43] The programme has often been held at Oxbridge colleges, prompting complaints from students.[44] In 2022, a reporter for The Daily Telegraph called Worcester College, Oxford's cancellation of the programme an example of cancel culture.[45]

Criticism and scrutiny

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In 2011, The Guardian raised questions over how the CLC is funded and noted structural similarities to the Alliance Defense Fund, an American conservative-Christian legal-advocacy group.[43] According to Keith Porteous Wood of the National Secular Society, "[the CLC] don't seem so keen to support religious liberty for Muslims or atheists".[43] The centre was the subject of a November 2018 BBC Radio documentary, A Tale of Belief and the Courts, written and presented by Joshua Rozenberg.[46]

The pseudonymous "Secret Barrister" criticised the CLC and other fundamentalist groups in their 2020 book, Fake Law. The author accused the groups of "casting a fog over the facts and drilling into our deepest and most primal fears" while "pushing their own agendas".[47] CLC consultant Pavel Stroilov called the book "an elitist rant".[48]

Notable people

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Andrea Minichiello Williams

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Evangelical activist and barrister Andrea Minichiello Williams is chief executive of the CLC and Christian Concern.[49] She began public-policy work with the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship (LCF) during the 1990s, opposing the liberalisation of laws governing civil partnerships and the status of embryos.[5] A member of the General Synod of the Church of England, Williams called on gay Christians (whom she called the "children of the devil") to "repent" and advocated the expulsion of gay priests from the Church of England.[50] Williams has publicly opposed the Church of England's decision to support civil partnerships.[51][52][better source needed]

She reportedly called the Human Fertilisation Bill "the work of the devil" and homosexuality sinful, said that abortion should be illegal, and the world is around 4,000 years old.[53][54][55] Williams has called abortion a "silent holocaust",[53] and sees abortion laws as "the work of Satan."[53]

The Channel 4 Dispatches documentary "In God's Name", which first aired on 19 May 2008, featured Williams and documented her lobbying the British Government on abortion, gay rights and the enforcement of laws relating to blasphemy. The programme included footage of Williams' meetings with Conservative politicians Norman Tebbit and Nadine Dorries, both of whom have worked with the LCF to influence policy on matters where they had a common agenda. When director David Modell asked Williams if she believes Islam is the "work of the devil", Williams replied: "I believe that Islam is a false religion, yes."[53] In the documentary, Williams addresses the LCF's track record of losing cases by saying "it's vital that these issues are aired and won in the court room."[53] David Modell concluded that "perhaps one of the problems is that she relies on evidence that has no apparent basis in reality."[53] Williams discussed her involvement in the Andrew case; McClintock is a magistrate who opposes gay adoption cases and received support from the LCF.[56] According to Williams, "It's not about the oppression of the homosexual community, but the evidence shows that children raised in those households are more likely to be gender confused, more likely to be drug-dependent, more likely to not finish school".[53]

Relationship with Nadine Dorries

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Williams had a close working relationship with British Conservative politician Nadine Dorries.[53][57] She was a team member of Dorries' campaign to reduce the upper limit on abortion to 20 weeks (a campaign partly funded by Christian Concern),[57] and wrote Dorries' anti-abortion amendments.[53] In the Channel 4 Dispatches documentary, "In God's Name", Dorries was asked how closely she worked with Williams and replied, "Closely? We've been stuck to the hip. Very closely."[53] About her campaign, Dorries added:

What goes on in here would have no structure whatsover, no sense of achievement if it wasn't for people like Andrea on the outside. You know, the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship, the Medical Christian Fellowship [sic] on this particular issue are absolutely vital because they give us the information.[53]

In the documentary, Dorries said that she had not discussed Williams' views on Islam. Williams (who sat next to her) said, "I believe that Islam is a false religion" and switched off her microphone.[53]

Pavel Stroilov

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Stroilov, a consultant for the CLC,[58] says that he is an exiled Russian dissident who smuggled top-secret Kremlin files into Britain after stealing them from the Gorbachev Foundation's archives.[58] During his work on the Alfie Evans case, a judge described his behaviour as “profoundly depressing, to say the least".[58] Stroilov was an aide for former UKIP leader Gerard Batten when Batten was an MEP.[58] Batten and Stroilov co-authored a book, The Inglorious Revolution.[58] Stroilov advised the parents of Alfie Evans to pursue a private prosecution for conspiracy murder against doctors at Alder Hey Children's Hospital.[59]

Bruno Quintavalle

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The CLC works closely with Italian lawyer Bruno Quintavalle, former leader of the anti-abortion political party ProLife Alliance.[60][61] Quintavallee, who worked on the Alfie Evans and Archie Battersbee cases,[61] campaigned to repeal the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.[62]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Case Wins and Launch of Christian Legal Centre". The Lawyers' Christian Fellowship. 11 December 2007. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  2. ^ Sam Hailes (22 April 2019). "Andrea Williams: The unstoppable founder of Christian Concern". Premier Christianity. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  3. ^ Hill, Symon (1 March 2011). "The Christian Legal Centre should apologise". Ekklesia. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  4. ^ Christian Legal Centre fights more than 50 religious discrimination cases, The Guardian. Retrieved 29 July 2020
  5. ^ a b ‘We are not the mouthpiece of any organisation. The Gospel is not right or left wing’, The Times. Retrieved 15 October 2022 (subscription required)
  6. ^ McKee, Jake (21 January 2023). "Anti-LGBTQ+ Christian group defends man charged with breaking conversion therapy ban". PinkNews. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  7. ^ Pidd, Helen (3 September 2008). "Christian sues gallery over 'blasphemous' erection". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  8. ^ McKeegan, Dave (26 September 2008). "Jesus' penis complainer never saw the exhibit". The Freethinker. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  9. ^ "Video & Audio Media Centre: Michael Phillips on Offensive 'Jesus' Statue exhibition (BBC Radio Essex)". Christian Legal Centre. 21 September 2008. Archived from the original on 26 December 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  10. ^ "'Indecent' Jesus action stopped". BBC News. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  11. ^ "'Hybrid embryo' legal block lost". BBC News. 9 December 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  12. ^ "Officer sacked for homophobic emails". The Guardian. Press Association. 26 November 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  13. ^ Melloy, Kilian (1 December 2009). "U.K. Sex Counselor Refuses Gays, Loses 'Discrimination' Suit Over Lost Job". EDGE Boston. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  14. ^ "Christian sex therapist Gary McFarlane loses appeal bid". BBC News. 29 April 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  15. ^ a b "Case of Eweida and Others v. The United Kingdom". European Court of Human Rights. 27 May 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  16. ^ "Pray for Nurse Chaplin and her freedom to wear a cross". Christian Legal Centre. 28 March 2010. Archived from the original on 31 December 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  17. ^ a b "Devon nurse loses crucifix 'ban' claim at tribunal". BBC News. 7 April 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  18. ^ Bartley, Jonathan (16 December 2009). "Duke Amachree - Who is telling the truth?". Ekklesia. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  19. ^ "Christian Wandsworth Council worker loses sacking claim". BBC News. 11 August 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  20. ^ "Christian foster couple lose 'homosexuality views' case". BBC News. 28 February 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  21. ^ Hawley, Zena (1 March 2011). "Defiant Christian foster parents vow to fight ruling by court on homosexuality". Derby Telegraph. Archived from the original on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  22. ^ "Christian NHS worker who gave religious book to Muslim colleague loses appeal over ruling". The Daily Telegraph. 7 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  23. ^ a b Woods, Mark (8 April 2016). "Victoria Wasteney: Victim of a godless legal system?". Christian Today. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  24. ^ "Alfie Evans case". BBC News. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  25. ^ "Christian lawyers accused of 'preying on' Archie's family". openDemocracy. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  26. ^ a b c d Duffy, Nick (26 April 2018). "Anti-LGBT fundamentalist group 'hijacked' the tragic case of Alfie Evans". PinkNews. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  27. ^ Siddique, Haroon (August 2022). "Archie Battersbee: how third parties can further complicate tragic life support cases". TheGuardian.com.
  28. ^ a b "'Call from God': American pro-lifer's role in Alfie Evans battle". The Guardian. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  29. ^ "Evans & Anor v Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust & Ors [2018] EWCA Civ 805 (16 April 2018)". www.bailii.org. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  30. ^ Grierson, Jamie (27 October 2017). "Christian thrown out of university over anti-gay remarks loses appeal". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  31. ^ "Felix Ngole Judgment" (PDF). Judiciary. July 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  32. ^ "Sheffield University student wins Facebook post appeal". BBC News. July 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  33. ^ Shaw, Neil (28 January 2024). "School worker 'sacked for being Christian' wins right to appeal". Bristol Live. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  34. ^ Kelleher, Patrick (3 August 2020). "Teacher who was fired after repeatedly misgendering a trans boy blames the 'LGBT+ mafia' for losing his job". PinkNews. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  35. ^ "Parents told son, 6, could be 'transphobic' after he was 'confused by boy wearing a dress'". LBC.
  36. ^ "Christian parents sue government over somebody else's kid wearing a dress". 14 October 2021.
  37. ^ Ames, Jonathan. "Parents force review of school trans guidance". The Times. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  38. ^ "Gay adoption row magistrate Richard Page loses appeal". BBC News. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  39. ^ "Nurse 'victimised' for wearing cross at work was unfairly dismissed, tribunal rules". Guardian. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  40. ^ "Archie Battersbee: Parents lose appeal over life support". BBC News. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  41. ^ "'Blow for free speech'? Chaplain at Trent College in Long Eaton upset by LGBT training loses unfair dismissal claim". Derby Telegraph. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  42. ^ "Wilberforce Academy". Wilberforce Academy. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  43. ^ a b c "Christian Legal Centre fights more than 50 religious discrimination cases". The Guardian. 30 April 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  44. ^ "Revealed: More colleges hosted controversial Christian group". Varsity. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  45. ^ Dixon, Hayley (21 June 2022). "Oxford college admits cancelling Christian event 'misled' students". Telegraph. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  46. ^ "A Tale of Belief and the Courts". BBC Sounds. BBC. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  47. ^ Barrister, The Secret (3 September 2020). Fake Law: The Truth About Justice in an Age of Lies. Pan Macmillan. pp. 69–70. ISBN 978-1-5290-0996-5.
  48. ^ "'Fake Law' – the Secret Barrister's defence of fake justice". Christian Concern. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  49. ^ Hudson, Patrick (10 March 2022). "GMC lifts ban from doctor providing abortion reversal". The Tablet. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  50. ^ Duffy, Nick (16 July 2016). "Church of England Synod member: Gay Christians are 'children of the devil'". PinkNews. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  51. ^ "Archbishops urged to call 'emergency debate' over C of E's legal advice on civil partnerships". Christian Concern. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  52. ^ "The Christians' advocate". Evangelicals Now. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  53. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Dispatches: In God's Name, Channel 4, 2008, retrieved 5 September 2022
  54. ^ "Dispatches: Making a giant leap of faith". The Independent. 18 May 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  55. ^ "Christian fundamentalists fighting spiritual battle in Parliament". The Telegraph. 17 May 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  56. ^ "Magistrate not allowed to refuse gay adoption cases". PinkNews. 2 March 2007. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  57. ^ a b "Fundamentally flawed". The Guardian. 21 May 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  58. ^ a b c d e Smith, Mikey (26 April 2018). "Alfie Evans legal advisor is exiled Russian dissident who worked for Ukip leader". Mirror. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  59. ^ "Archie Battersbee: how third parties can further complicate tragic life support cases". The Guardian. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  60. ^ "Christian lawyers accused of 'preying on' Archie's family". openDemocracy. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  61. ^ a b "'Call from God': American pro-lifer's role in Alfie Evans battle". The Guardian. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  62. ^ "UK party's hard line on abortion heady". The Independent. 11 April 1997. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
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