UK: Judge who called equal marriage a ‘shambles’ retires

A High Court judge who was previously warned for making critical comments about same-sex marriage retired today.

In December 2012, Sir Paul Coleridge said that ministers should focus on supporting existing married couples, rather than the “wrong policy” of equal marriage, which he claimed affects only “0.1%″ of the population.

Sir Paul told The Times: “So much energy and time has been put into this debate for 0.1 per cent of the population, when we have a crisis of family breakdown.

“It’s gratifying that marriage in any context is centre stage … but it [equal marriage] is a minority issue. We need a much more focused position by the government on the importance of marriage.”

The Press Association reports he had described the government’s policy for England and Wales as a “shambles”.

In December 2013, Sir Paul announced that he will be retiring early, claiming that the judiciary had ostracised him for his views on marriage.

The High Court judge runs a charity to combat the breakdown of families, the Marriage Foundation.

It was subsequently revealed he had been disciplined over his decision to write about his views on marriage in The Daily Telegraph.

• Dec 01 2023

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