Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Scotland's "Landmark" Ruling

Now this is interesting.....
DENOMINATIONAL schools have been warned not to reserve key posts for Catholic teachers after a landmark legal ruling.

An employment tribunal found in favour of a maths teacher who was turned down for a post at his school because he was not a Roman Catholic.

David McNab, who is an atheist, has been a maths teacher at St Paul's RC High School in Pollok, Glasgow, since 1991.

But when he applied for the post of acting principal teacher of pastoral care 18 months ago, he was told by the headteacher that he could not be considered for the post as he is not a Catholic.

Mr McNab was yesterday awarded £2,000 after the tribunal found he had been "unlawfully discriminated against ... on the grounds of his religion", in contravention of the European Convention on Human Rights....

The tribunal had heard that the school had a system of "reserved posts", such as headteacher or guidance teacher, which could be filled only by candidates who were approved by the Catholic Church.

In its ruling yesterday, the tribunal found that the system was not justifiable in law.

However, the tribunal also found that the Catholic Church was allowed to continue its practice of rubber-stamping all teaching appointments in denominational schools.

There goes that European Convention on Human Rights, causing havoc again. As it's been invoked in American jurisprudence, could the States be next?

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