News Bulletin 21 February 2014

The Scottish Government is to face legal action after passing controversial plans to appoint a ‘state guardian’ or ‘named person’ to every child under the age of 18. The Christian Institute says it intends to launch a judicial review against the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill, as it contravenes human rights laws on family life — Church leaders in Scotland will continue to have a voice on local authority education committees, after the Scottish Government rejected a secularist bid to end the practice — New guidance from the Church of England has reaffirmed its traditional stance on marriage, and confirmed that it will ‘not’ allow clergy to enter a same-sex marriage when it becomes legally possible next month — The Roman Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury has warned that traditional marriage vows will be made ‘meaningless’ if pre-nuptial agreements become legally enforceable — The leader of disability charity Scope, Richard Hawkes, has been voicing his concern after Belgium’s decision last week to widen the scope of euthanasia laws in the country to include terminally ill children. He says disabled people in the UK will be looking nervously at that decision amid calls for assisted suicide in Britain — And university students have been allowed to reinstate a pro-life display after it was dubbed offensive and taken down.