News & Events: Ecclesiastical & Religious Law
Justin Gau successfully defends clergyman charged with misconduct
A clergy discipline tribunal considered a complaint made by a clergy man (‘Rev C’) against another clergyman (‘Rev R’) during a hearing from the 12th to the 14th March. The allegations were: That the conduct of the respondent, the Reverend “R” was unbecoming or inappropriate to the office and work of a clerk in Holy […]
Discrimination appeal against C of E dismissed
Justin Gau has appeared before the Court of Appeal in the first case under the Equality Act relating to a Gay Priest who married his partner. Canon Jeremy Pemberton had been working as a chaplain in a Lincolnshire hospital when an offer to work as a bereavement manager at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust was withdrawn when […]
Justin Gau successfully opposes exhumation of wrongly interred person
Justin Gau has successfully opposed the exhumation of Patricia Sutton, who had been wrongly interred at South Stone Cemetery in Southampton. In 1999 Mark Edwards, reserved the exclusive right of burial in a space at the cemetery next to the grave of his late sister and was given a deed recording the reservation accordingly. However […]
Justin Gau briefed in first case of ‘spiritual abuse’
Justin Gau has appeared on behalf of a Vicar in what is considered to be the first reported case of spiritual abuse before a Church of England Tribunal. The Revd Timothy Davis, the vicar of Christ Church, Abingdon, in Oxfordshire, became a mentor to a 15-year-old boy, referred to in the judgment as W1, in […]
Religious discrimination in the work place
The issue of religious discrimination in the work place is a sensitive one which employers need to consider carefully. As set out in the Equality Act 2010 it is unlawful to discriminate against individuals because of their religion or belief, or lack of religion or belief either directly or indirectly. Given the diversity of religions […]
Priest sues Church for Discrimination
Justin Gau has been instructed to act on behalf of Canon Jeremy Pemberton in his discrimination case against the Church before the Employment Tribunal. Cannon Jeremby Pemberton the first priest to marry his same-sex partner was refused the licence he needed to work as a hospital chaplain by the then acting bishop of Southwell and […]