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Anscombe Bioethics Centre vs. transgender people

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The Anscombe Bioethics Centre was a Roman Catholic academic institute which published on “the moral questions arising in clinical practice and biomedical research.” It operated from 1977 to 2025.

In 2026, Anscombe Bioethics Centre was listed in retracted reports by Amnesty International UK on anti-rights movements in the United Kingdom.

Background

In 1970, Cardinal John Heenan, Archbishop of Westminster, recommended creating a Catholic institute dedicated to medical ethics. This led to the creation of the Hospital Review Committee. In 1974, the organization formed a governing board. On October 24, 1977, The Linacre Centre Trust was registered with the Charity Commission as charity number 274327. Under the working name The Linacre Centre for Healthcare Ethics, it opened at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth in London. It was named after Thomas Linacre (c. 1460–October 1524).

In 2010, it relocated to Oxford and was renamed to honor British moral philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe (1919–2001). Their website was launched in January 2011.

On July 31, 2025, the Anscombe Center was closed by its corporate trustee, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

Anti-trans activism

Starting in the late 2010s, Anscombe Bioethics Centre published several papers and government submissions on transgender topics, mostly written by directors Helen Watt and David Albert Jones.

People

Staff

  • David Williams: Director (1977–1980)
  • Luke Gormally: Director (1981–2000)
  • Helen Watt: Director (2001–2010)
  • David Albert Jones: Director (2010–2025)
  • Agneta Sutton: Research Fellow (1986-1989); Deputy Director (1989–1994)
  • Christopher M. Wojtulewicz: Education and Research Officer (2021–2025)
  • Gwen McCourt: Administrator
  • Fred Fitzpatrick: Education and Research Officer (1984–1990)
  • Hugh Henry: Education Officer (2003–2004)
  • Patrick Carr: Education Officer (2005–2006)
  • Stephen Barrie: Education and Research Officer (2007–2016)
  • Michael Wee: Education and Research Officer (2016–2021)
  • Peter D. Williams: Media and Communications (Manager 2021–2023; Advisor 2023–2025)

Research fellows

  • Teresa Iglesias (1981–1985)
  • Anthony McCarthy (2002–2010)
  • John Berry: Associate (1991–2019)
  • Andrew Pinsent: Associate
  • O. Carter Snead: Associate

Visiting research fellows

  •  Xavier Symons (2020)
  • Jorge Martínez (2019)
  • Ryan Meade (2019)
  • Toni Saad (2018)
  • Stephan Kampowski (2017)
  • Thomas Finegan (2016)
  • Nicanor Austriaco (2014)
  • Anselm Müller (2013)
  • Daniel P. Sulmasy (2012)
  • Joseph Boyle (2010, 2015)
  • John Keown (2010)

Contributors

  • Nigel Biggar: Academic Review Panel (2010–2012)

References

Staff report (July 2, 2025). Britain’s leading Catholic bioethics centre forced to close. The Catholic Herald https://thecatholicherald.com/article/britains-leading-catholic-bioethics-centre-forced-to-close

Elhabbal, Madalaine (July 2, 2025). Prominent Catholic bioethics center in Oxford, England, shuttered amid financial strain. EWTN News https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/europe/prominent-catholic-bioethics-center-in-oxford-shuttered-amid-financial-strain

Staff report (July 31, 2025). Statement on the Anscombe Bioethics Centre. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales https://www.cbcew.org.uk/statement-on-the-anscombe-bioethics-centre/

Selected publications

Maxwell, Julie (2024). https://bioethics.org.uk/research/all-research-papers/shining-a-light-on-gender-identity-services-how-the-cass-review-shows-the-need-for-evidence-based-paediatric-medicine-dr-julie-maxwell/ [archive] PDF https://bioethics.org.uk/media/tqnnpetv/shining-a-light-on-gender-identity-services-how-the-cass-review-shows-the-need-for-evidence-based-paediatric-medicine.pdf [archive]

Anscombe Bioethics Centre (August 2021). Submission to Government of Scotland on Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/consultation-analysis/2021/08/organisation-responses-to-gender-recognition-consultation-rest-of-uk/documents/anscombe-bioethics-centre/anscombe-bioethics-centre/govscot:document/Anscombe%2BBioethics%2BCentre.pdf

Watt, Helen (December 2020). Social and Medical Gender Transition and Acceptance of Biological Sex. Christian Bioethics: Non-Ecumenical Studies in Medical Morality, Volume 26, Issue 3. https://doi.org/10.1093/cb/cbaa015

Watt Helen (2020). Gender Transition: The Moral Meaning of Bodily and Social Presentation. New Blackfriars. 2020;101(1094):456-477. https://doi.org/10.1111/nbfr.12465

Jones, David Albert (May 21, 2017). Gender dysphoria: Some Catholic bioethical reflections. https://www.bioethics.org.uk/media/oigfgrxz/gender-dysphoria-some-catholic-bioethical-reflections-david-albert-jones.pdf [archive]

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Anscombe Bioethics Centre (bioethics.org.uk) [archive]

  • alt url ipv6.bioethics.org.uk
  • Staff and fellows
  • bioethics.org.uk/detail/about_us/staff_and_fellows [archive]

UK Register of Charities (register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk)

  • The Anscombe Bioethics Centre: charity number: 274327
  • original name: The Linacre Centre Trust
  • https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/274327

X/Twitter (x.com)

LinkedIn (uk.linkedin.com)

  • Anscombe Bioethics Centre
  • uk.linkedin.com/company/anscombe-bioethics-centre [removed]