Desecration of corpses
In answer to a written question from Ann Davies (Caerfyrddin, Plaid Cymru) asking the Secretary of State for Justice whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a separate criminal offence of desecration of a corpse, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the MoJ, Alex Davies-Jones, said this:
“The Government understands the concerns of bereaved families who are pressing for a review of the legislative framework around the desecration of corpses. While there is no specific offence of desecrating a corpse in England and Wales, other related offences can apply, such as preventing the lawful burial of a body. When the concealment or desecration of a body is linked to a homicide (to avoid detection, for example), the current sentencing framework treats this as an aggravating factor, ensuring robust sentences. The Government recognises that desecration could include a range of behaviours and is keeping the law under review.
The Government is also taking action to expand the offence of sexual penetration of a corpse under section 70 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The Crime and Policing Bill will replace this offence with a broader offence of sexual activity with a corpse…”
For Women Scotland again
The Guardian reports that Victoria McCloud, a retired Master of the King’s Bench, who is transgender, is applying to the European Court of Human Rights to bring an action against the UK for infringement of her rights under Article 6 (fair trial). Last year, she sought leave to intervene in the Supreme Court appeal in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers, arguing that the outcome could significantly affect legal protections for transgender women, but her application to intervene was rejected and she is apparently challenging that rejection.
The Secretary of State for Justice, Shabana Mahmood, gave evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights on Wednesday. The BBC reported that she told the Committee that recent attacks on the integrity of the Supreme Court were “absolutely unacceptable” and that it was”disappointing… that some individuals have sought to question the validity of the Supreme Court or cast aspersions…”.
On Friday, the Scottish Government confirmed that it would not bring forward planned legislation to criminalise misogyny before the end of the current Parliament because there was insufficient time to draft a bill that reflected the Supreme Court’s judgment in For Women Scotland. Instead, it intends to propose amendments to existing hate crime legislation to provide protections on the basis of sex.
And while we’re on the subject, it’s possibly rather niche for readers of this blog, but Amy Wren and Siobhan Murray, of Farrer & Co, have produced a nuanced and detailed article on the situation for employers after the Supreme Court’s judgment. Well worth reading.
Cardinal Becciu concedes
We reported in last week’s roundup on Cardinal Becciu, who was stripped of his privileges as a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2020 and convicted of financial fraud by a Vatican court in 2023 (a conviction which he is appealing), but who has continued to insist on his right to vote in the forthcoming Conclave.
According to a report in the Catholic Herald, after being shown documents signed by Pope Francis confirming that it was his will that Becciu not participate, he has thrown in the towel:
“Having at heart the good of the Church, which I’ve served and will continue to serve with fidelity and love, as well as to contribute to the communion and serenity of the conclave, I’ve decided to obey as I always have the will of Pope Francis to not enter into the conclave, despite remaining convinced of my innocence.”
New Minister for Heritage
Baroness Twycross, the DCMS Minister in the Lords, has taken over the role of Minister for Heritage from Sir Chris Bryant. She will retain her existing responsibilities for gambling and for all DCMS business in the Lords, and will also be taking on responsibility for libraries and the National Archives. Bryant will retain the remainder of his portfolio.
Stop Press
The Press Release Bangor Cathedral Visitation Report and links to associated documents were published yesterday evening. A summary of the events at Bangor is given by Madeleine Davies in the Church Times.
And finally…I
As a segue to last week’s comments on the forthcoming Conclave, The Guardian has observed “Selecting a new pope has always been an arduous process, but some conclaves seemed to suffer more than others”: Fist fights, ghostly pranks and schism: a brief history of conclaves past.
And finally…II
And in some parallel universe to which we do not normally have access (and, on balance, would prefer not to), President Trump told a reporter that “I’d like to be the next Pope. That’d be my number one choice. No, I don’t know, I have no preference. I know we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York that’s very good, so we’ll see what happens.” Perhaps he’s no longer so sure that it’s constitutionally possible for him to seek a third term…
Subsequently, Truth Social and the White House posted an AI-generated image of Pope Donald I:
