Family law update: Early v Early is dead

In Early v Early 1989 SLT 114 (OH), 1990 SLT 221 (IH) and eight year old male child was removed from his mother with whom he had always lived and custody was awarded to the father with whom he had never lived and who had two convictions for child neglect. The major part of the reason for doing so was that the mother had entered into a lesbian relationship and the Lord Ordinary felt that this created two disadvantages for the child; it deprived him of any male role-model in his upbringing, and if the truth of his home life became known to his school friends he might be subjected to teasing at school.