Lesbian Mother Gets Custody (Press, 18 February 1983)
This is a Generative AI summary of this newspaper article. It may contain errors or omissions. Please note that the language in the summary is reflective of the original article and the societal attitudes of the time in which it was written.
Summary: Lesbian Mother Gets Custody (Press, 18 February 1983)
On 18 February 1983, England's Court of Appeal delivered a significant ruling concerning the custody of two young sisters, aged seven and eight, which concluded that they would benefit from living with their lesbian mother and her female partner rather than with their father and his new wife. The decision was issued by Mr Justice Ormrod and Lord Justice Eveleigh, emphasising the stability of the children's living situation with their mother. The court noted that the mother had established a “practising homosexual” lifestyle, spending much of her time with her partner and sharing intimacy as part of their relationship. Welfare officers involved in the case indicated that the girls were likely to have a more stable and supportive life with their mother, who they expressed a desire to live with. Mr Justice Ormrod asserted that while a parent's sexual orientation could be a consideration in custody matters, it should not automatically disqualify them from being granted care and control of their children. He acknowledged that homosexual relationships might typically be perceived as less stable than heterosexual ones, yet he maintained that this factor should not outweigh the overall welfare of the children. This ruling upheld a previous decision made by a judge at Bath County Court in December 1982, who concluded that the custody arrangement should favour the mother after initially determining in 1980 that the children were to be raised in what was described as an "ordinary household." The court's latest decision highlighted a shift in perspective regarding the rights of homosexual parents in custody disputes, reflecting evolving social attitudes at the time.
Important Information
The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact
The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand