Exeter Christian Union wins right to appoint Christian leaders

Exeter University's Christian Union (CU) has won a crucial vote in its highly-publicised human rights battle with the campus Students' Guild and University authorities.

Its prolonged battle with the University took a substantial step forward when the CU won a democratic student vote at an emergency General Meeting of the Students' Guild.

The CU were invited by the Guild to present a motion allowing them to require all officers and members of the CU to sign to a statement of belief.

CU member Ben Martin filed papers at the High Court in January this year following the suspension of the 50-year-old CU from the official list of student societies on campus, and after its Student Union bank account was frozen.

The CU had also been banned from free use of Students' Guild premises, or advertising events within Guild facilities, because the Students' Guild claimed the CU constitution and activities did not conform to its Equal Opportunities standards.

Detailed negotiations ensued between the CU, the Guild and the University, and between the National Union of Students and the Universities and Colleges Christian Unions (UCCF), and under the threat of High Court action.

Following the vote in favour of the CU, the society has now secured an active Student Union bank account been re-listed on the Guild's official list of societies.

The CU also has permission once again to use and advertise CU events on Guild/campus premises, and, more importantly, the right to restrict membership of the CU and its leadership to those able to sign up a statement of fait.

The CU stressed that only leadership and membership was restricted to Christians only, and that events had always been open to students of all faiths and none to attend.

The Student body voted last Friday 122 to 47 that the relationship between the CU and Student Guild should reflect proposed new guidelines on religious societies as agreed between the National Union of Students and UCCF.

The vote means that it is now acceptable for the CU to ask officers and members to sign up to the aims and belief of the society, whilst all meetings and events are open to all students at Exeter University.

Commenting on the vote, Mr Martin, who has since left the university, said: "This continues to be a long and hard fight for the rights of Christian students to assemble and form as a group of fellow believers under a lawful constitution.

"We support the rights of any student on campus to assemble and discuss/debate any topic with fellow students in what is a free society."

The spat between the Exeter University Student Guild and the CU there began 18 months ago when one student complained that he did not feel able to sign up to the CU statement of belief.

Mr Martin said that it was "right and proper" for the Guild to ratify the vote, adding that he wanted to put the episode behind him.

Ross Tranter, current CU president, added that he was "pleased" with the vote

"We are simply looking forward to getting on with our academic studies and to developing the work of the CU as a well-established, successful and fully recognised society on campus."

Andrea Williams, Director of the Christian Legal Centre, commented, "This vote is an important step forward towards a resolution in this case. It is a victory for common sense, and a signal to the Guild on how students feel about a truly diverse and equal agenda where freedom of religion and freedom of association can be fully respected and integrated on campus."

She praised Christian students in Exeter for "showing courage and leadership beyond their years and fighting for these great principles of a truly free and democratic society".

A new book by Julian Rivers, 'The Legal Rights of Student Christian Unions', has been published rebutting Mark Shaw QC's Adjudication between the Christian Union and the Student Guild.