Humanists welcome Ladele judgment: no religious "opt out" from equal public services

15 December 2009

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has welcomed the Court of Appeal judgment in Ladele v London Borough of Islington, which upheld last year's ruling that she had not been subject to religious discrimination. Ms Ladele, who had worked as a Registrar for Islington Council, refused to perform Civil Partnership ceremonies, saying that they went against her strong Christian beliefs.

Andrew Copson, BHA Director of Education and Public Affairs, commented, 'This case has been incorrectly cast by some as a "conflict of rights". The judgment makes clear that in the context of people providing public services or performing public functions, such as Civil Partnership ceremonies, their rights simply do not "trump" those of service users. In fact, they have a duty to treat services users equally, with dignity and respect, as the public authority itself must.'

'As the judgment made clear, in a modern liberal democracy, there can be no "opt out" for those who say they are unable to do their jobs because they wish to discriminate, even when that desire to discriminate derives from a religious belief. This judgment is extremely welcome.'

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