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South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Bishop and Colman's mustard heir's wife face discipline on safeguarding failings
Retired former Bishop of Durham Paul Butler is among those who could be banned from ministry as a result of investigations following the Makin review – but former archbishop of Canterbury George Carey will not face any action. The report, published last year, concluded that abuse carried out for decades by Christian camp leader John Smyth was known about and not acted upon by various people within the Church. Lord Carey, former archbishop of Canterbury, will face no further action (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA) While the review led to the eventual resignation of Mr Welby as the most recent Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church's national safeguarding team (NST) undertook to look at all clergy criticised within the report. In an update on Thursday, the Church said Bishop Paul and six others are to face disciplinary proceedings under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM). CDM outcomes can range from a conditional discharge where no penalty is imposed, to removal from office, resignation by consent and a lifetime ban from ministry. While a new process, replacing the CDM, was approved by the Church's parliament earlier this month to include defrocking, it is not thought this will be in place in time for these cases. Lord Carey, who was named in the Makin report, had been one of 10 clergy revealed in February as facing possible action. But the NST has confirmed 89-year-old Lord Carey, Reverend Paul Perkin and Reverend Hugh Palmer will face no further action. The Makin report led to the resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury (Gareth Fuller/PA) As there is a 12-month time limit on cases being brought, the NST had to ask for permission of the President of the Tribunals to bring a CDM 'out of time'. Permission was granted in only seven of the 10 cases and the NST said it 'entirely respects' the decision from the 'independent judicial process'. Others named as facing CDMs include Reverend Sue Colman – the wife of the Colman's mustard heir Sir Jamie Colman. The Makin report concluded Mrs Colman, associate minister at St Leonard's Church in Oakley, near Basingstoke in Hampshire, was aware of Smyth's abuse before being ordained and noted that she and her husband visited Smyth in Africa in the 1990s and funded the Smyths through a personal trust. Around a week after the Makin report was published, the Diocese of Winchester said Mrs Colman had been asked to 'step back from all ministerial duties'. The rest facing possible disciplinary action are Reverend Roger Combes, Reverend Andrew Cornes, Reverend Tim Hastie-Smith, Reverend Nick Stott and Reverend John Woolmer. The NST said it will make no further comment on the cases while CDM proceedings are under way and no timeline has been given for when they might conclude.
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Bishop and Colman's mustard heir's wife face discipline on safeguarding failings
Retired former Bishop of Durham Paul Butler is among those who could be banned from ministry as a result of investigations following the Makin review – but former archbishop of Canterbury George Carey will not face any action. The report, published last year, concluded that abuse carried out for decades by Christian camp leader John Smyth was known about and not acted upon by various people within the Church. Lord Carey, former archbishop of Canterbury, will face no further action (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA) While the review led to the eventual resignation of Mr Welby as the most recent Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church's national safeguarding team (NST) undertook to look at all clergy criticised within the report. In an update on Thursday, the Church said Bishop Paul and six others are to face disciplinary proceedings under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM). CDM outcomes can range from a conditional discharge where no penalty is imposed, to removal from office, resignation by consent and a lifetime ban from ministry. While a new process, replacing the CDM, was approved by the Church's parliament earlier this month to include defrocking, it is not thought this will be in place in time for these cases. Lord Carey, who was named in the Makin report, had been one of 10 clergy revealed in February as facing possible action. But the NST has confirmed 89-year-old Lord Carey, Reverend Paul Perkin and Reverend Hugh Palmer will face no further action. The Makin report led to the resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury (Gareth Fuller/PA) As there is a 12-month time limit on cases being brought, the NST had to ask for permission of the President of the Tribunals to bring a CDM 'out of time'. Permission was granted in only seven of the 10 cases and the NST said it 'entirely respects' the decision from the 'independent judicial process'. Others named as facing CDMs include Reverend Sue Colman – the wife of the Colman's mustard heir Sir Jamie Colman. The Makin report concluded Mrs Colman, associate minister at St Leonard's Church in Oakley, near Basingstoke in Hampshire, was aware of Smyth's abuse before being ordained and noted that she and her husband visited Smyth in Africa in the 1990s and funded the Smyths through a personal trust. Around a week after the Makin report was published, the Diocese of Winchester said Mrs Colman had been asked to 'step back from all ministerial duties'. The rest facing possible disciplinary action are Reverend Roger Combes, Reverend Andrew Cornes, Reverend Tim Hastie-Smith, Reverend Nick Stott and Reverend John Woolmer. The NST said it will make no further comment on the cases while CDM proceedings are under way and no timeline has been given for when they might conclude.
Western Telegraph
5 days ago
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Bishop and Colman's mustard heir's wife face discipline on safeguarding failings
Retired former Bishop of Durham Paul Butler is among those who could be banned from ministry as a result of investigations following the Makin review – but former archbishop of Canterbury George Carey will not face any action. The report, published last year, concluded that abuse carried out for decades by Christian camp leader John Smyth was known about and not acted upon by various people within the Church. Lord Carey, former archbishop of Canterbury, will face no further action (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA) While the review led to the eventual resignation of Mr Welby as the most recent Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church's national safeguarding team (NST) undertook to look at all clergy criticised within the report. In an update on Thursday, the Church said Bishop Paul and six others are to face disciplinary proceedings under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM). CDM outcomes can range from a conditional discharge where no penalty is imposed, to removal from office, resignation by consent and a lifetime ban from ministry. While a new process, replacing the CDM, was approved by the Church's parliament earlier this month to include defrocking, it is not thought this will be in place in time for these cases. Lord Carey, who was named in the Makin report, had been one of 10 clergy revealed in February as facing possible action. But the NST has confirmed 89-year-old Lord Carey, Reverend Paul Perkin and Reverend Hugh Palmer will face no further action. The Makin report led to the resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury (Gareth Fuller/PA) As there is a 12-month time limit on cases being brought, the NST had to ask for permission of the President of the Tribunals to bring a CDM 'out of time'. Permission was granted in only seven of the 10 cases and the NST said it 'entirely respects' the decision from the 'independent judicial process'. Others named as facing CDMs include Reverend Sue Colman – the wife of the Colman's mustard heir Sir Jamie Colman. The Makin report concluded Mrs Colman, associate minister at St Leonard's Church in Oakley, near Basingstoke in Hampshire, was aware of Smyth's abuse before being ordained and noted that she and her husband visited Smyth in Africa in the 1990s and funded the Smyths through a personal trust. Around a week after the Makin report was published, the Diocese of Winchester said Mrs Colman had been asked to 'step back from all ministerial duties'. The rest facing possible disciplinary action are Reverend Roger Combes, Reverend Andrew Cornes, Reverend Tim Hastie-Smith, Reverend Nick Stott and Reverend John Woolmer. The NST said it will make no further comment on the cases while CDM proceedings are under way and no timeline has been given for when they might conclude.
Indian Express
03-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
‘SC said declared foreigners should be deported, Assam govt has taken it to mean something very different and for push backs': Petitioner
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea challenging the Assam government's move to 'push back' alleged illegal immigrants and those declared foreigners by the state's Foreigners' Tribunals (FTs) into Bangladesh. A Bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and S C Sharma instead asked the petitioner, the All BTC Minority Students' Union (ABMSU), a social organisation based in the Bodoland Territorial region, to approach the Gauhati High Court. The Indian Express spoke to ABMSU president Taison Hussain on their attempt to challenge the Assam government's steps. Excerpts: * Why did you approach the Supreme Court over the issue? The foreigners' matter has been going on in Assam for a very long time. The FTs function in an arbitrary manner and many of the people declared foreigners are done so ex-parte (proceedings conducted and orders passed in their absence). Then last month we started seeing people getting picked up by the police – these people have been out on bail on the Supreme Court's orders, many have approached higher courts to appeal against their FT orders and have stay orders on action against them — and since then, no one knows where they have been taken. When relatives go to the police, the police say they don't know (anything). That means the people are missing. Then two days after all this first started, we started seeing videos of people stuck in the no man's land between Bangladesh and India. When we found out, our organisation demonstrated against this and contacted officers concerned, but we didn't get any positive results. There was a Supreme Court order that declared foreigners in Matia (Assam's dedicated detention camp) should be deported, which the state government has taken to mean something completely different and is now doing 'push backs'. Because of this, we approached the Supreme Court. * In what way do you think the state is acting differently from the Court's directions? The Supreme Court had said that if these people are Bangladeshi citizens and the state knows this, they need to be deported. We have never objected to anyone being deported in a legal manner. But these people were born here. If there is a mistake in their name in some records, if there is some irregularity in age, they are declared foreigners by FTs. Many have approached higher courts and others still have the option to do that. They can't just be picked up. They have not violated their bail ground rules. But they were picked up suddenly at night. We think this is a misinterpretation and violation of what the Supreme Court said. There is a proper procedure for deportation. But here, nothing has been done formally and these people were just pushed into no man's land. No notice was given to them before it was done and, till date, the government has not given an official statement on what exactly is being done. * Is this a new turn in the state's long-standing citizenship issue? At a recent press conference, the CM (Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma) said the process of detecting foreigners by the border police had been stopped for a few years because of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) updation process. Now we think that because the Assembly elections are coming (in 2026), this decades-old issue is being raised again. He (Sarma) has taken steps to deport alleged foreigners to gain political mileage. We support the completion of the NRC exercise, which has been on hold for more than five years now. This is the only solution to the foreigners' issue – not the arbitrary border police and Foreigners' Tribunals – and the only way to put an end to it for good. * Now that the Supreme Court has declined to hear your plea, what will your next step be? The Supreme Court has not said that our case does not have merit. It has said that because there are some individual cases and that this is happening in the state, we should approach the Gauhati High Court. We will file a writ petition in the Gauhati High Court this week.
Hindustan Times
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC issues notice to Assam govt to provide details on 'declared foreigners'
Guwahati, The Gauhati High Court has issued notice to the Assam government directing it to provide details on the whereabouts of two brothers, declared foreigners by a tribunal, and on the ''arbitrary arrest of declared foreigners who are apprehending illegal push back''. A Division bench of Justice Kalyan Rai Surana and Justice Malasri Nandi on Thursday directed the state government to give details about the whereabouts of Abu Bakkar Siddik and his brother Akbar Ali who were detained by the officials of the Nagarbera police station in Kamrup district on May 25. The court has posted the next date of hearing on June 4. The court was hearing a writ petition filed by the duo's nephew Torap Ali who claimed that his family apprehends both his uncles ''may be in danger of being illegally pushed into Bangladesh''. The petitioner claimed that the authorities have refused to give details of the whereabouts of the two brothers since May 25 when they were called to the police station. During the hearing, the state counsel J Payeng said that Siddik and Ali have been detained and are now in the custody of Assam Border police. In 2017, the brothers were sent to the detention camp in Goalpara after they were declared foreigners by the Foreigners Tribunal as they failed to provide documents to prove that they or their forefathers had come to the country before March 24, 1971, the cut-off decided by the 1985 Assam Accord. They were released on bail in 2020 following the Supreme Court's directive that those who are in detention for over two years may be released on bail. The petitioner claimed that the two men did not get an opportunity to take recourse to all legal remedies available to them under the law and to ''push back before such determination is conclusive amounts to arbitrary deprivation of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution''. Foreigners Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, particularly in Assam, established to determine if a person residing in India is a "foreigner" as defined by the Foreigners Act of 1946, based on the Foreigners Order of 1964. These tribunals are designed to address matters related to citizenship and the presence of foreigners in India, specifically focusing on cases where someone is suspected of being an illegal immigrant. The Foreigners Order, of 1964, is applicable nationwide. The Foreigners Tribunals are primarily associated with and functioning in Assam, particularly in the context of the National Register of Citizens and related issues. There are 100 Foreigners Tribunals across the state.
