Monday, September 3, 2012

Christians take 'beliefs' fight to European Court of Human Rights

Christians take 'beliefs' fight to European Court of Human Rights





They include an airline worker stopped from wearing a cross and a counsellor who refused to deal with gay couples.

All four lost separate employment tribunals relating to their beliefs.

The BBC's Robert Pigott says the result will mark a "watershed moment" in social change to Christian beliefs.

Earlier this year, the four were backed by the UK's equality watchdog, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which said judges had interpreted equality laws "too narrowly" in religious claims.

It said this had led employers to place undue restriction on how far Christians could behave in accordance with their beliefs.

In Mrs Chapman's case, the NHS trust said the necklace her cross was on had breached health and safety guidelines. She lost her discrimination case in 2010.

Meanwhile, Miss Eweida, who was suspended by British Airways for breaching its uniform code, also lost her case against discrimination in 2010.

In the same year, Mr McFarlane, a Christian marriage guidance counsellor from Bristol, lost his court bid to challenge his sacking for refusing to give sex therapy to homosexuals.

And, also in 2010, the Supreme Court ruled against Ms Ladele, who was disciplined by Islington Council for refusing to conduct same-sex civil partnerships.

The court refused her bid to challenge an appeal tribunal which overturned a previous decision by an employment tribunal that the council had discriminated against her.

The cases involve British Airways check-in clerk Nadia Eweida, nurse Shirley Chaplin, relationship counsellor Gary McFarlane and registrar Lilian Ladele:


Ms Eweida, a Pentecostal Christian from Twickenham, south-west London, was sent home by her employer British Airways in 2006 after refusing to remove a necklace with a cross
Devon-based nurse Mrs Chaplin was moved to a desk job by Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust Hospital for similar reasons
Mr McFarlane, a Bristol counsellor, was sacked by Relate for refusing to give relationship advice to gay people
Ms Ladele was disciplined after she refused to conduct same-sex civil partnership ceremonies in north London

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