Jim Beaux
07-11-2008, 11:55 AM
Victory for Christian registrar bullied for refusing to perform 'sinful' gay weddings
By Olinka Koster (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Olinka+Koster) Last updated at 10:51 PM on 10th July 2008
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/07/10/article-1033955-0151533D00000578-920_233x422.jpg Landmark ruling: A tribunal said Lillian Ladele had been unfairly treated by her employers over her refusal to perform civil partnership ceremonies.
A Christian registrar who refused to carry out gay 'weddings' won a landmark legal battle yesterday.
Lillian Ladele, 47, was threatened with the sack, bullied and 'thrown before the lions' after asking to be excused from conducting civil partnerships for same-sex couples because of her religious beliefs.
But yesterday a tribunal agreed that her faith had been ridden roughshod over by equalities-obsessed Islington Council, which had sought to 'trump one set of rights with another'.
The groundbreaking decision could lead to firms facing 'conscience claims' from staff who say their own beliefs prevent them carrying out part of their job.
Yesterday's ruling found that Liberal Democrat-run Islington Council in North London cared too much about the 'rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual' community.
It also found that the council – which gave Miss Ladele an ultimatum to choose between her beliefs and her £31,000-a-year job – showed no respect for her rights as a Christian.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1033955/Victory-Christian-registrar-bullied-refusing-perform-sinful-gay-weddings.html
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The comments on this are as interesting as the report. Basically, as this is a civil ceremony only, the public view seems to be that the tribunal is wrong. For example, would she be allowed to refuse to marry divorcees on the same grounds?
By Olinka Koster (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Olinka+Koster) Last updated at 10:51 PM on 10th July 2008
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/07/10/article-1033955-0151533D00000578-920_233x422.jpg Landmark ruling: A tribunal said Lillian Ladele had been unfairly treated by her employers over her refusal to perform civil partnership ceremonies.
A Christian registrar who refused to carry out gay 'weddings' won a landmark legal battle yesterday.
Lillian Ladele, 47, was threatened with the sack, bullied and 'thrown before the lions' after asking to be excused from conducting civil partnerships for same-sex couples because of her religious beliefs.
But yesterday a tribunal agreed that her faith had been ridden roughshod over by equalities-obsessed Islington Council, which had sought to 'trump one set of rights with another'.
The groundbreaking decision could lead to firms facing 'conscience claims' from staff who say their own beliefs prevent them carrying out part of their job.
Yesterday's ruling found that Liberal Democrat-run Islington Council in North London cared too much about the 'rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual' community.
It also found that the council – which gave Miss Ladele an ultimatum to choose between her beliefs and her £31,000-a-year job – showed no respect for her rights as a Christian.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1033955/Victory-Christian-registrar-bullied-refusing-perform-sinful-gay-weddings.html
************************************************** ******
The comments on this are as interesting as the report. Basically, as this is a civil ceremony only, the public view seems to be that the tribunal is wrong. For example, would she be allowed to refuse to marry divorcees on the same grounds?