25 October 2007
In brief
A magistrate who claims he was forced to resign rather than rule on cases that involve the placement of children with adoptive gay parents has taken his case to an employment tribunal. Andrew McClintock stood down from his position on the family panel of the South Yorkshire Bench after he was denied an opt out of cases that would contradict his Christian beliefs. The case has been brought under the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/1660) which protect office holders against discrimination on religious grounds. The government said that judges and magistrates could not choose which parts of general law they wish to apply.
