Storm as Law Society bans conference debating gay marriage Sir Paul, who made headlines last week as he launched a new charity, the Marriage Foundation, was due to speak on the effects of divorce on society. A follow-up event for MPs was being planned take place in Parliament after the conference. Organisers said the conference had been booked for up to six months and a deposit of around £4,700 has already been paid. But in an email on Thursday, Adam Tallis, general manager of Amper&and, the company which organises hospitality at The Law Society, informed them that the booking was being cancelled and the deposit refunded. "We regret the need to take this step," he wrote. I can assure you that it is not something we do lightly. However, where an event does not fit within this company's diversity policy, it is a step we must take. The nature of your event has recently been drawn to our attention, and it is contrary to our diversity policy, espousing as it does an ethos which is opposed to same sex marriage. Same-sex marriage is not currently legal in Britain, although a consultation is under way on a possible change in the law. Andrea Williams, director of Christian Concern, which is a member of the World Congress of Families said: "It is just extraordinary that the professional body that regulates solicitors in this country is censoring debate on a major change in the law that will inevitably have massive consequences for society. It does seem to be a fundamental misreading of the Equality Act. This was supposed to be a genuine open debate on the issues, constructing a case for marriage in the public sphere, and they seem to be closing it down. Of all the places in society where you might expect freedom of debate to be protected, the regulatory body of the legal profession would surely be at the top of the list. This statement is highly political, highly charged and wholly inappropriate. A lot of lawyers will be very alarmed by this and ashamed of their regulatory body. But Desmond Hudson, chief executive of the Law Society, said: "We are proud of our role in promoting diversity in the solicitors" profession and felt that the content of this conference sat uncomfortably with our stance. Through our events and venues supplier, we have assisted the organisers in identifying an alternative, non Law Society venue.