Six short reports with links to various aspects of these rulings including comment by Archbishop of York, Robert Pigott BBC Religious affairs correspondent, The Christian Institute and the National Secular Society.
1. – The Cranmer Blog
Posted this comment – Victory for religious symbols; defeat for the religious conscience …it is a curious accommodation of the ‘fundamental right’ to manifest religious belief in the workplace which permits Roman Catholic doctors and nurses to deprive women of their right to abort their babies, but then forces council workers and charity employees to transgress their consciences on the issue of same-sex relationships. In what sense is a woman’s legal right to abortion a lesser right than the right of homosexuals to be civilly partnered?
The full judgment is available via this site.
http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/victory-for-religious-symbols-defeat.html
2. – Wearing religious symbols at work – Archbishop’s statement
Following the rulings at the European Court of Human Rights today, the Archbishop of York, the Most Revd Dr John Sentamu, has released the following statement.
‘Christians and those of other faiths should be free to wear the symbols of their own religion without discrimination. Christians are not obliged to wear a cross but should be free to show their love for and trust in Jesus Christ in this way if they so wish.
‘In July 2012, the General Synod stated that it is the calling of Christians to order and govern their lives in accordance with the teaching of Holy Scripture and to manifest their faith in public life as well as in private. This means giving expression to their beliefs in the written and spoken word, and in practical acts of service to the local community and to the nation.
‘The Equality Act 2010 encourages employers to embrace diversity – including people of faith. Whether people can wear a cross or pray with someone should not be something about which courts and tribunals have to rule.’
3. – Christian wins right to wear cross at work
By John Bingham, Telegraph – A Christian airline check-in clerk has won the right to wear a cross at work in a landmark case set to define religious freedom in Britain and across Europe.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the UK had failed to protect Nadia Eweida’s freedom to manifest their faith in the workplace.
But it rejected a similar legal challenge from Shirley Chaplin, a nurse, ruling that the hospital where she worked should be able to refuse permission to wear a cross on “health and safety” grounds.
Both women lost employment tribunal cases in Britain after being refused the right to wear a cross as a symbol of their faith under their employers’ uniform policy.
And in a hearing in Strasbourg last year the UK Government argued that this was not a breach of their human rights and wearing a cross is not an essential tenet of Christianity.
But in its judgment the court said that manifesting religion is a “fundamental right”.
It added: “[This is because] a healthy democratic society needs to tolerate and sustain pluralism and diversity; but also because of the value to an individual who has made religion a central tenet of his or her life to be able to communicate that belief to others.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9802067/Christian-wins-right-to-wear-cross-at-work.html
4. – BBC News report
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21025332
Also – Robert Pigott Religious affairs correspondent, BBC News comments –
Although Nadia Eweida’s victory shows that Christians can see wearing a cross at work as part of behaving in accordance with their religion, the court’s decision was based on special circumstances – including the fact that a discreet cross would not have adversely affected British Airways’ public image.
It’s perhaps more significant that Shirley Chaplin’s case was dismissed, along with those of Gary McFarlane and Lillian Ladele. Today’s judgement sets the legal seal on years in which traditionalist Christians have tried, and failed, to defend their values against secular ones in British courts.
The message coming from Strasbourg is that although people are entitled to hold religious views, that right is severely limited in the workplace when it comes into conflict with the rights of other people. The judgement also hands considerable discretion to employers to set reasonable policies and then insist that employees follow them whatever their religious beliefs.
5. – Eric Pickles backs wearing crosses as European court makes religion ruling
Telegraph – Britons should be free to wear religious symbols because “faith galvanises our communities”, Eric Pickles will say before a European Court ruling on wearing crosses.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9801559/Eric-Pickles-backs-wearing-crosses-as-European-court-makes-religion-ruling.html
6. – Christian registrar loses European court case
The Christian Institute – Lillian Ladele, a Christian registrar who was pushed out of her job because of her stance against civil partnerships, has lost her case at the European Court of Human Rights.
Five judges rejected her claim, but two believed that she had suffered discrimination because of her Christian beliefs about marriage.
Mike Judge, spokesman for The Christian Institute which backed Miss Ladele’s case, said: “Obviously, we are disappointed to have lost by a majority decision.
“But we are encouraged that two judges thought we should have won.
“What this case shows is that Christians with traditional beliefs about marriage are at risk of being left out in the cold.
“If the Government steamrollers ahead with its plans to redefine marriage, then hundreds of thousands of people could be thrown out of their jobs unless they agree to endorse gay marriage.”
Also on this site – Listen to Mike Judge talk about the case on BBC Radio London with Vanessa Feltz
http://www.christian.org.uk/news/christian-registrar-loses-european-court-case/
7. – National Secular Society welcomes European Court of Human Rights ruling on ‘religious discrimination’ cases
From NSS website […] Reacting to the landmark ruling, Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director of the National Secular Society, said:
“First and foremost, this ruling demonstrates that UK equality law is fully compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights and that there is no need to change UK law. Any attempt to do so by the Government would therefore signal a clear desire to give privileged treatment to religious believers, and would be robustly challenged.
“In the cases of the registrar who refused to conduct civil partnerships and the counsellor who wouldn’t counsel gay couples – the principle of non-discrimination against gay people has been upheld. If they had won these cases, it would have driven a coach and horses through the equality laws. The rights of gay people to fair and equal treatment would have been kicked back by decades.
http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2013/01/nss-responds-to-the-european-court-of-human-rights-rulings-on-religious-discrimination–cases