Letter: On trial by the church

From Mr C. M. Keep

Sir: Along with many Christians I am interested in the court case involving the Dean of Lincoln and Miss Verity Freestone and keen to know what the verdict will be, hoping and praying that there will be a fair trial. But are they figures of such national importance that the current court case warrants the treatment that your paper is giving them?

To have one-third of your front page (18 July) devoted to the first day of the case is surely excessive. Headlines such as "Dean went on 'mission of seduction' " are more usually found in tabloid papers, not dominating the front page of the Independent. The lives of these two people will be difficult to rebuild as it is, and I am unsure that your excessive attention to their case is likely to help.

Yours faithfully,

C. M. Keep

Repton, Derby

From The Rev Eric Shegog

Sir: No one would deny that the present disciplinary procedure for clergy needs reviewing. Stephen Trott omits to mention, in his article "No way to ensure godly behaviour" (19 July), that a General Synod working party under the chairmanship of Canon Alan Hawker is doing just that. The working party, set up in November 1994, is receiving evidence and hopes to make recommendations for debate by the newly elected General Synod, probably in November 1966.

Yours faithfully,

Eric Shegog

Director of Communications

General Synod of the Church of England

Church House

London, SW1

19 July