June 22nd, 2021
At least eight in ten people favour assisted dying reform across Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man, according to the first poll ever conducted on the matter in the three jurisdictions. The findings have been welcomed by Humanists UK and Channel Islands Humanists. Both campaign to legalise assisted dying for the terminally ill and […]
June 22nd, 2021
A new Church of England secondary school has been given the green light to open in Kingston upon Thames. But it only happened after councillors were told it was their ‘only option’ to meet an urgent need for school places. Humanists UK campaigns for inclusive schools that are suitable for all children regardless of religion […]
June 22nd, 2021
Jersey’s Citizens’ Jury on Assisted Dying has overwhelmingly recommended the legalisation of a right to die. Humanists UK gave oral and written expert evidence to the panel, which has published its initial report today. Humanists UK and Channel Islands Humanists have welcomed the publication as a major turning point for assisted dying. It expects the […]
June 21st, 2021
Around 700 households joined Humanists UK’s 2021 Convention online on Saturday 19 June, making it the best-attended Convention to date. In welcoming attendees, Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson took the opportunity to note the charity’s varied achievements in the previous 12 months, in the teeth of the pandemic, thanking members for their continued support […]
June 21st, 2021
New assisted dying legislation has been introduced to the Scottish Parliament. It has been prompted by Humanist Society Scotland and Friends At The End – Humanists UK’s Assisted Dying Coalition partners, and Dignity in Dying Scotland. Humanists UK has welcomed the news. Under the proposed law, doctors will be able to help terminally ill adults […]
June 20th, 2021
From July legal recognition will be extended to outdoor civil marriages in England and Wales. The UK Government has announced that it will change the law to allow this until at least April 2022. But it has made no announcement about legal recognition of humanist marriages. Humanists UK has called for their legal recognition to […]
June 18th, 2021
Northern Ireland Humanists has called on the Committee for Health to advise the Northern Ireland Assembly against the Severe Fetal Impairment Abortion (Amendment) Bill. The Bill seeks to curtail hard-fought abortion rights in Northern Ireland, overriding patients’ control over their reproductive and sexual health. Northern Ireland Humanists stated that, if made law, the Bill would […]
June 18th, 2021
Humanists UK is sad to report the death of its patron and long-standing friend, the humanist and assisted dying campaigner, Paul Lamb. Admired for his keen sense of humour, fortitude, and bravery, Paul Lamb was one of the most prominent activists for the right to die in the UK. In 1990, he was severely injured […]
June 17th, 2021
Relationships and sexuality education (RSE) lessons are set to restart at a Northern Ireland primary school following the resignation of two Church-appointed governors earlier this month. The news has been welcomed by Northern Ireland Humanists, which campaigns for comprehensive, fact-based RSE lessons for all pupils regardless of background. Pupils at Killinchy Primary School in County […]
June 16th, 2021
The Universities Tests Act, which ended religious discrimination in admissions and employment at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Durham is 150 years old today. The Act marked an important step in advancing freedom of religion or belief in the UK. But a century and a half later, state-funded schools are still permitted to select […]
June 14th, 2021
Humanists have joined forces with religious groups across the UK to call on the Prime Minister to protect the Human Rights Act 1998. They have done so because of concern about measures possibly being introduced that would make it harder for people to secure their rights. This follows the Government’s Independent Human Rights Act Review, […]
June 14th, 2021
The UK Government has condemned a Catholic relationships and sex education (RSE) resource, arguing it should not be used in schools. It says it has ‘serious concerns’ and it ‘would be hard for a school to present [it] in a way that is consistent with the… statutory guidance.’ It contains ‘gender stereotypes’ that ‘could normalise […]
