Law and Conscience Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor on the place of the Church in public life, rights of conscience and need for the law to be 'flexible' Telegraph Church determined to continue with public role 31.01.07 Telegraph, Equality, Gay Rights, Jurisprudence

No Exemption for Gay Adoption Blair confirms there will no exemption to gay rights law for church-run adoption agencies, 20-month transition, MPs will have 'take it or leave it' vote on regulations in full 30.01.07 Times, Family Law, Gay Rights

No Gay Exemption for Churches Cabinet support waning for exemption for Church adoption agencies from Equality Act in placing gay couples BBC Archbishop Vincent Nichols leading Catholic campaign, Anglicans facing schism in Africa over homosexuality Guardian Blair retreats from compromise 25.01.07 Telegraph, Telegraph, Equality, Family Law, Gay Rights

Churches Harden Against Gay Adoption Church of England has aligned with Catholics in opposing rights of gay couples to adopt children, threatening to close adoption services if legally forced to accept gays 24.01.07 Guardian, Gay Rights, Religious Discrimination

Story of a Trans-Racial Adoption African child Elizabeth-Jane Elising Jeffcoat adopted into white Scottish family had mixed up childhood, parents 'felt the strain' of having a black child 09.11.06 Guardian, Madonna

Malawi Ct to Rule on Madonna Court will decide today on case brought by Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre, led by Desmond Kaunda, challenging legality of adoption on basis of residence ITV News David's natural father Yohane Banda says he wants child to stay with Madonna 'a long time' and case should be dropped 27.10.06 Mail & Guardian, Celebrities in Law, Madonna

Madonna Insists Adoption Legal Madonna tells Oprah Winfrey that Malawi 'has no adoption law - they made them up', insists process for adopting David Banda was legal, lawyer Titus Mvalo of Malawi Human Rights Consultative Committee says adoption requires 18 months residence 25.10.06 Daily Mail, Celebrities in Law, Madonna

Challenge to Madonna Adoption Rights groups are attempting to block Madonna's adoption of David Banda, say it is illegal as she is not resident in Malawi BBC Adoption experts warn that media does not show 'complex process' behind the news, not as easy as it is made to look 16.10.06 Sunday Times, Children's Rights, Human Rights, Madonna

Family Law Protocol The Law Society has launched the second edition of its Family Law Protocol to enable practitioners to adopt a co-operative approach to this area of law and improve consistency of practice 06.03.06 Law Society Press Release, Child Residence, Civil Partnership, Cohabitation, Divorce, Domestic Violence, Family Law

Adoption National Register to be scrapped, only 75 placements in two years, claims low figure due to children being hard to place, but other schemes have worked better 19.04.04 Guardian