British Catholic Adoption Agency Loses Appeal Seeking To Exclude Same-Sex Couples

In Catholic Care (Diocese of Leeds), (Charity Commn., April 26, 2011), the First-Tier Tribunal of the Charity Commission of England and Wales rejected an appeal by a Catholic social service agency for permission to amend its governing documents so that it can refuse to offer adoption services to same-sex couples. The Tribunal affirmed the decision handed down last summer by the Charity Commission. It rejected the charity's argument that that the proposed amendment was justified by a provision in the Equality Act 2010 that allows a charitable organization to restrict benefits if it is "a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim."