Gay Adoption Ban Ruled 'Discriminatory'

A ban on gay and unmarried couples adopting in Northern Ireland is discriminatory, a High Court judge has ruled.

Mr Justice Seamus Treacy said people in civil partnerships were being unfairly targeted by the ban.

Currently, a single gay or lesbian person can adopt but a couple in a civil partnership cannot.

The judge said: "Not only do they suffer the same discrimination that unmarried opposite sex couples experience when applying to adopt jointly, they also suffer unjustifiable discriminatory treatment when compared against individual members of an opposite sex couple who can apply to adopt as an individual.

"This is despite the fact that the commitment evinced by choosing to enter a civil partnership ought to be similar to marriage in indicating the security of that relationship."

He added that the ban served to narrow the pool of potential adopters.

He said: "The most important consideration is that decisions are made in the best interests of the child."

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) chief commissioner Professor Michael O'Flaherty welcomed the ruling.

"Given the high numbers of children in care, who need a family in Northern Ireland, the importance of this case in widening the pool of prospective parents cannot be overstated," he said.

But Health Minister Edwin Poots has challenged the ruling.

He said it would further delay his department’s plans to introduce the Adoption and Children Bill in the Assembly.

(IT)