freedom of religious expression

• freedom of religious expressionism not an absolute right

  • if it would be harmful to others, would cause of a breach of the peace, or express racial or religious hatred; that would be a breach of the law
• Shirley Chaplin: a nurse wearing a cross for work

  • for right to religious expression: this expression of her faith would cause no harm
  • against right to religious expression: prohibited by her NHS trust, so in breach of its rules

  legal decision: against Chaplin - wearing any necklace is a health risk in a hospital
• Mr + Mrs Bull: refused a room at their guesthouse to a gay couple

  • for right to religious expression: the owners let rooms to married couples only; upholding Christian teaching on sexual practice. this was not a decision based on sexual orientation
  • against right to religious expression: act of discrimination on sexual orientation (also, at the time, gay marriage was not legal in the UK - Marriage Act 2013 was 5 years later)

  legal decision: against the Bulls - their action was seen as a breach of the 2007 Sexual Orientation regulations
• Lee v Ashers, 2014: Lee requested a cake from Ashers baking company with the headline ‘Support Gay Marriage’. The order was later refused because the owners were Christian + would not print the slogan due to these beliefs

  • Lee took the owners to court claiming he suffered discrimination; bakery argued they did not support the political message he had requested + were acting in line with their own freedom of expression

  → court ruled in favour of the bakery