Exeter University's Christian Union (CU) has won a crucial vote in its highly-publicised human rights battle with the campus Students' Guild and University authorities.
Its prolonged battle with the University took a substantial step forward when the CU won a democratic student vote at an emergency General Meeting of the Students' Guild.
The CU were invited by the Guild to present a motion allowing them to require all officers and members of the CU to sign to a statement of belief.
CU member Ben Martin filed papers at the High Court in January this year following the suspension of the 50-year-old CU from the official list of student societies on campus, and after its Student Union bank account was frozen.
The CU had also been banned from free use of Students' Guild premises, or advertising events within Guild facilities, because the Students' Guild claimed the CU constitution and activities did not conform to its Equal Opportunities standards.
Detailed negotiations ensued between the CU, the Guild and the University, and between the National Union of Students and the Universities and Colleges Christian Unions (UCCF), and under the threat of High Court action.
Following the vote in favour of the CU, the society has now secured an active Student Union bank account been re-listed on the Guild's official list of societies.
The CU also has permission once again to use and advertise CU events on Guild/campus premises, and, more importantly, the right to restrict membership of the CU and its leadership to those able to sign up a statement of fait.
The CU stressed that only leadership and membership was restricted to Christians only, and that events had always been open to students of all faiths and none to attend.
