April 1, 2016

Magistrate sacked over controversial TV comments against same-sex adoption

Mr Page, who served for 15 years as a magistrate in Kent, told the BBC’s Carolyn Wyatt: “My responsibility as a magistrate as I saw it, was to do what I considered best for the child.

"My feeling was therefore that it would be better if it was a man and woman who were the adopted parents."

According to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office, the magistrate’s controversial comments amounted to serious misconduct which brought the magistracy into disrepute and "would have caused a reasonable person to conclude he was biased and prejudiced against single sex adopters".

A disgruntled Mr Page said: "I have made judgments on thousands of cases and in each case, have come to my decision based on the evidence, and the evidence alone.

"It has only been a relatively short time that same-sex couples have been able to adopt and foster and there has not been time for a proper analysis to be carried out into the effects such placements have on the children's educational, emotional and developmental wellbeing.

"To punish me and to seek to silence me for expressing a dissenting view is deeply shocking."

Mr Page has told reporters that he intends to challenge the "illiberal and intolerant" decision.

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