Yahoo News Anti-abortion group launches legal bid against Aberdeen University
An anti-abortion group has launched legal action against the University of Aberdeen for alleged ‘unlawful discrimination’.
Aberdeen Life Ethics Society (ALES) said its attempts to be an official society were repeatedly rejected by the Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) due to the association’s pro-choice policy.
If a group becomes an affiliated society, they can have access to funding for events, use meeting rooms, and a stall at freshers fair.
ALES began the legal action after months of ‘repeated efforts to resolve this problem through internal bureaucratic channels’.
They said that both the university and AUSA are in breach of the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998 by restricting free speech of religion.
Alex Mason, a PHD student and member of the Aberdeen Life and Ethics society, said: “Universities should foster free debate and discussion over important ethical issues like abortion.
“Unfortunately, there is a lot of social pressure on young people to conform to the pro-abortion viewpoint.
“For many of us, our pro-life beliefs were forged from our understanding of gestational science, as well as our Christian faith and the ability to express these beliefs must be protected.”
A spokesperson for AUSA said: “At this stage we cannot comment on the legal actions taken by the ALES, however following a complaint raised by them, AUSA’s Board of Trustees reviewed the matter and after deliberations, ALES were invited to re-apply for affiliation as an AUSA society, with the reassurance that the application would be treated in the same way as any other.
“However to date no application has been received.”
Last year, the Glasgow Students for Life, another anti-abortion group, was also denied affiliation by the Students’ Representative Council at Glasgow University.
