Chaplain branded a safeguarding risk by CofE seeks judicial review

A chaplain who was labelled a safeguarding risk by the Church of England as a consequence of his traditional Christian views on gender identity is looking for a judicial review on the Royal Courts of Justice today.

Rev Randall has not been employed in ministry since his dismissal by Trent College in 2020 over a sermon to students in the college chapel during which he said they didn’t need to agree with LGBT ideology.

Lawyers acting for Rev Bernard Randall will argue that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Bishop of Derby, Libby Lane, have “repeatedly misused safeguarding processes to uphold an illegitimate ban on Dr Randall’s ministry”.

Without a licence to minister within the Church of England, he stays unable to work as a chaplain and has been forced to search out alternative employment. 

This is despite being cleared by the federal government’s counter-terrorism scheme Prevent, the local authority designated officer on safeguarding (LADO), the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Dr Randall attempted to bring a disciplinary case against Bishop Lane but it surely was blocked by Archbishop Welby.

When lawyer Gregory Jones KC was asked to review the case on behalf of the Church of England’s clergy disciplinary body, he concluded that Welby had “misunderstood the scope of his powers”, and was “plainly mistaken” to dismiss the grievance.

Of the Diocese of Derby’s findings, Jones KC said that they “don’t for my part support any finding of a ‘safeguarding’ issue as defined by the [Church of England’s safeguarding] Guidance”. 

The review was later taken over by the President of Tribunals, Dame Sarah Asplin, who was asked to contemplate whether it was appropriate to convene a tribunal to rule on the grievance.

Despite finding “serious errors in the method adopted” and that “the entire safeguarding procedure was flawed”, she determined that the Bishop of Derby didn’t have a case to reply. 

The hearing on Tuesday is looking for a judicial review to challenge Dame Asplin’s decision to not convene a tribunal.

Ahead of the hearing, Dr Randall said that “safeguarding has been weaponised as a political tool against a theological position which is wholly consistent with the Church’s doctrine”.

“Yet again, within the corridors of power, the Church has closed ranks to guard senior people. Where is the accountability? What of transparency?” he said.

“These should not the failings of years ago. This is now. Too many extraordinary people have stopped trusting the Church, and my case is just certainly one of many explanation why.

“I long to see a Church which healthy and powerful, unashamedly proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which brings life in all its fulness to all people without exception.

“As it stands, the Church of England shouldn’t be that Church. That is a explanation for deep sorrow to Christians up and down this land, me included.”

 Before the hearing, Dr Randall will hand in a petition signed by over 40,000 people to Lambeth Palace, the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The petition asks Archbishop Welby to apologise to Dr Randall and reinstate his licence to minister. 

“It’s time for the Church of England to provide Bernard his life back. He’s been punished for nothing greater than upholding his Christian beliefs, that are fully in accordance with Church of England doctrine,” the petition says. 

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Dr Randall, said, “Even Jesus, let alone Bernard Randall, would have fallen foul of the diocese of Derby’s approach to safeguarding and would have been marked a risk to children.”