MPs from all major parties will debate an amendment to the Queen’s speech requesting that the UK Government considers passing legislation to allow women normally resident in Northern Ireland to have access to free abortion services within England. Humanists UK, which has organised a petition of the Prime Minister on the matter, welcomes the tabling […]

The first ever legal humanist wedding ceremony took place in Northern Ireland yesterday afternoon. After a lengthy legal battle to secure recognition, Laura Lacole and Eunan O’Kane wed in a beautiful ceremony surrounded by friends and family and conducted by Humanists UK celebrant Isabel Russo. On Monday, Laura and Eunan won the right to have […]

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that the Scottish Government is exploring whether to remove financial barriers within NHS Scotland imposed upon women normally resident in Northern Ireland who cross the Irish Sea to access safe and legal abortion. She first announced that this policy would be considered in November 2016, depending upon the […]

Humanists Laura Lacole and Eunan O’Kane have been granted legal authority by the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland to have their Humanists UK-accredited humanist celebrant be authorised to conduct a legal marriage ceremony. The decision follows a hearing at the court today on an appeal by Northern Ireland’s Attorney General, General Register Office, and […]

Humanists UK has learned with great sadness of the death of its patron of many years, the distinguished human rights lawyer Lord (Joel) Joffee CBE. His death comes as a profound loss to the humanist movement, and Joel will be remembered for his lifetime of good works and his support for a range of humanist […]

‘Like many people today, I read in horror this morning of the news that, in the same borough as our offices, in my own neighbourhood of Finsbury Park, there had been another terrorist attack on the streets of London. An innocent person had lost their life and many more were hurt. ‘The victims of this […]

Ireland’s newly elected Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced that a referendum will be held in 2018 on the issue of repealing the eighth amendment of the Irish constitution, which strictly prohibits abortion in nearly all circumstances. Varadkar announced the planned referendum alongside his selection of new cabinet ministers, including ‘pro-choice’ Minister for Health Simon Harris, […]

In a joint statement at the 35th session of the United Nations Human Right Council, Humanists UK and LGBT Humanists UK has called upon states that criminalise blasphemy to remove these laws from their statute books, including the 13 countries where such crimes carry the death penalty. In a statement delivered by Chris Ward, it […]

More than one in five people have humanist beliefs and values, a new survey published today has revealed. The new research, conducted by YouGov, has found that 22% of people are non-religious, use science in place of faith to understand the universe, and take a non-religious approach to ethical decisions. The research is published following […]

Today, the Supreme Court ruled that the matter of charging Northern Irish women to access abortion services on NHS England, which are free women living in Britain, is a political decision. Therefore, the UK Government and, specifically, the Secretary of State for Health, has the power to end this unequal and discriminatory charge. Humanists UK, […]