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CHOOSINGBISHOPS-THEEQUALITYACT2010
1.TheEqualityAct('theAct')hascodifiedand,insomecases.extendedpreviouslawinrelationtodiscrimination.MostoftheprovisionsoftheActcameintoforceonIOctober2010.2.Thisnoteisnotintendedasacomprehensivebriefingonalongandcomplexpieceoflegislation.Instead,itseekstosummarisesomekeypointswhichthoseinvolvedintheprocessofnominatingbishopsneedtokeepinmindintheirdeliberationsandwhenconsideringorinterviewingcandidates.Italsoprovidesmorespecificguidanceontwoparticularareas.
Generalprinciples
3.TheActidentifiesnine'protectedcharacteristics'.Theseare:age;disability;genderreassignment;marriageandcivilpartnership;pregnancyandmaternity;race;religionorbelief;sex;andsexualorientation.
It
thengoesontodefine'directdiscrimination'-which.ariseswhere,becauseofaprotectedcharacteristic,onepersonistreated
mote
orless
favourablythananother-and'indirectdiscrimination'-whiehariseswhereapersonappliesagenerallyapplicableprovision,criterionorpracticewhichputsanotherpersonwithaprotectedcharacteristicatadisadvantageandWhichcannotbeobjectivelyjustified.4.TheeffectoftheActistomakeitunlawfultoengageindirectorindirectdiscriminationincertaincontexts(includingemployment,certainsortsofofficeholding,theprovisionofservicesandaccesstopremises)unlessthelawprovidesforaspecificexemption.5.ThedefinitionsandexemptionsintheAct,whichtunsto239pages,arecomplex.Thereare,forexample,variouscircumstancesinwhicha'genuineoccupationalrequirement'canbeappliedintheemploymentfieldeventhoughitinvolvesdirectorindirectdiscriminationinrelationtooneorotheroftheprotectedcharacteristics.6.Unlessoneoftheexemptionsapplies,however,thoseresponsibleforselectionprocesseswilllaythemselvesopentolegalchallengeif,inanypartoftheprocess,theyappeartoallowaprotectedcharacteristictobetakenintoaccountinconsideringacandidate'seligibilityforappointment.
i
7.Thus,forexample,althoughdirectdiscriminationbecauseofthe~rotectedcharacteristicofageisunlawful,theeffectofexemptionsinthe
Act
istopermitthe
,
ChurchofEnglandtocontinuetorequirethatapersonmaynotbecomeabishopuntilhehasreachedtheageof30andalsothatheleaveofficeonreachingtheageof70.8.Butanysuggestionduringaselectionprocessthatconsiderationhadbeengiventowhetheraneligiblecandidatewasthoughttobe'tooyoung'or'tooold'wouldbeunlawful.Similarly,givingpreferencetoacandidatebecausehewasmarriedorbecausehewasnotmarriedwouldbeunlawful.
9.
It
is
also,ingeneral,unlawfultodiscriminateongroundsofreligionandbelief.But,again,thereisspecificprovisionforChurchesandotherreligiousorganisationstoimposerelevantrequirementswhenmakingappointments.10.
It
is,therefore,lawfulforJheChurchofEnglandnotmerelytogiveeffecttothegenerallegalrequirement~relatingtothequalificationsofthosetobeconsecratedasbishopsbutalsototakeintoaccounttheparticularconvictionsandChurchtraditionofcandidateswherethatisrelevanttothepostforwhichtheyarebeingconsideredandthecontextinwhichtheywouldbeexercisingtheirministryifappointed.
The
roleof
thebishop
11.Whenselectingthosewhoaretoserveitasbishops,priestsordeacons,theChurchofEngland,likemanyotherChurchesandfaiths,doesnotdrawthesamedistinctionasmostsecularemployersb~tweenaperson'sworklifeandhisorherprivatelife.Thus,tobeadmittedtoHolyOrdersapersonmustbe'ofvirtuousconversationandgoodreputeandsuchastobeawholesomeexampleandpatterntotheflockofChrist'(CanonC4.1).
12.
Additionally,abishopisrequiredtobeafocusofunity.Oneelementofthisislifestyle.UndertheCanonshehasaresponsibilitytobe
'anexampleofrighteousandgodlyliving'.
Attheirconsecrationbishopsareasked:•
willyouendeavour
tofashion
yourownlifeandthatofyourhouseholdaccordingtothewayofChrist...
?'
BishopsareseenwithintheAnglicanCommunion
as
thosewhohavetheresponsibility
'toguardthefaith,unityanddisciplineofthewholeChurch'
(theVirginiaReport1998).13.AgainstthatbackgroundtherearetwoparticularissuesdiVorceandremarriage,andhomosexualityandcivilpartnership-whichmayariseinthecourseofselectionexercisesforepiscopalofficeandwherequestionsmayariseastowhatrequirementsmaylawfullybeimposedgiventheprovisionsoftheAct.Divorce
andremarriage
14.Inmostemploymentcontextsitisunlawfulforemployerstodiscriminateagainstpeopleinrelationtotheirmaritalstatusorhistory.TheActdoes,however,allowChurchesandotherreligiousorganisationstoapplyarequirementrelatingtothecircumstancesinwhichamarriagecametoanendorarequirementnottobemarriedtosomeonewithalivingf6rmerspouse._15.TheHouseofBishopsissuedastatementon18June2010(G8Mise960)clarifyingtheimplicationsofmarriageafterdivorceforeligibilityforordainedministry,includingtheepiscopate.Thestatementnotedthattherewasnolegalprohibitionontheconsecrationtotheepiscopateorappointmenttoepiscopalofficeofsomeonewhohadmarriedagainandwhosecurrentandformerspousewasstillaliveorwhowasmarriedtosomeonewhosespousefromaformermarriagewasstillalive.16.Thestatementwentontosaythatinsuchcircumstancesbeforesomeonecouldbeconsideredforanepiscopalappointmentthearchbishopoftheprovinceinwhichtheclergymanwasservingwouldwanttosatisfyhimself,onthebasisofenquiriescarriedoutbytherelevantdiocesanbishop,thatthemaritalhistorydidnot,inthe
Ilghtof
allthecircumstancbs,constituteanobstacletoepiscopalappointment.These
,
2
enquirieswillbemadebeforeacandidatecomestobeconsideredforadiocesanorsuffraganbishopappointment.17.Thestatementcontinued:
'thefac:thatsomeoneinthissituationhasbeenaddedto.the.prefermentlistdoesnotmeanthattheCNCorthediocesanbishopandthoseadvisinghiminrelationtoaslljJraganappointmentareprecludedthereafterfromtakingthemarlta}historyintoaccountwhenconsideringhissuitabilityforaparticularoffice.Asnotedaboveinrelationtoparochialappointments,thosewiththerelevantresponsibilitypreentitledtoreachajudgementonwhethermaritalhistorymightproveanobstaclegiventhestronglyheldreligiousconvictionsofasignificantnumberofthosetowhomthepersonwouldbeministering'.
18.
Thestatementadded:
'bishopsarerequiredtobeafocusforunityandadiocesanbishopisthechiefpastorofallthatarewithinhisdiocese.ThoseselectedfordiocesanorsuffraganrolesareexpectedtobeanexampletothepeopleofGod.MaritalhistoryisoneofmanyconsiderationswhichmayproperlybetakenintoaccountindiscerningwhoGodiscallingtosuchofficeinHisChurch'.
Homosexualityand
CivilPartnership
19.Aperson'ssexualorientationis,initself,irrelevanttotheirsuitabilityforepiscopalofficeorindeedordainedministrymoregenerally.
It
would,
therefore,
bewrongif,duringaeNCoraselectionprocessforasuffragansee,accountweretakenofthefactthatacandidatehadidentifiedhimselfasofgaysexualorientation.
20.
Asamatteroflaw,however,theActallowsChurchesandreligiousorganisationstoimposearequirement.thatsomeoneshouldnotbeinacivilpartnershiporimposearequirementrelatedtosexualorientationwhere'
becauseofthenatureorcontext
of
the[office].therequirementisappliedsoastoavoidconflictingwiththestronglyheldreligiousconvictionsofasignificantnumberofthereligion'sfollowers'.
21.
TheChurchofEngland'steachinginrelationtosame-sexrelationsand,morerecently,civilpartnershipscanbefoundintheGeneralSynodmotionof1987,theHouseofBishops'teachingstatementof1991,
IssuesinHumanSexuality,
Resolution
1.10
oftheLambethConference1998,andtheHouseofBishops'PastoralStatementof2005onCivilPartnerships.Thesemake
it
clearthatsomeone
in
asexuallyactiverelationshipoutsidemarriageisnoteligiblefortheepiscopateorotherordainedministry.
22.
Thereis,bycontrast,nocorrespondingstatementofthepositionoftheChurchofEnglandthatdeclaresthatacelibatepersoninacivilpartnershipcannotbeconsideredforappointmentasabishop.23.Inparticular,theHouseofBishops'statement
0[2005
did.notaddressthisquestion.
It
notedthattheHousesaw
'nothingincompatiblebetweenHolyOrdersandenteringintoacivilpartnership,wherethepersonconcernedisWillingtogiveassurancestohisorherbishopthattherelationship
is
consistentwiththestandardsfortheclergysetoutinIssuesinHumanSexuality:'
Thereferencetoassurancestothebishopimplies,however,thatwhenmakingthatstatementtheHousewasaddressingthe
positionofdeaconsandpriestsalone.
3
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