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'Gay cake' row: Judge rules against Ashers bakery 'Gay cake' row: Judge rules against Ashers bakery
(about 1 hour later)
A judge has ruled that a Christian-run bakery discriminated against a gay customer over their refusal to make a cake with a slogan supporting same-sex marriage. A judge has ruled that a Christian-run bakery discriminated against a gay customer by refusing to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan.
Ashers Baking Company, based in County Antrim, were taken to court by gay rights activist Gareth Lee. Ashers Baking Company, based in County Antrim, was taken to court by gay rights activist Gareth Lee.
A Belfast judge said, as a business, Ashers were not exempt from discrimination law. A Belfast judge said, as a business, Ashers was not exempt from discrimination law.
Damages of £500 were agreed in advance by both legal teams. The firm's general manager said they were "extremely disappointed" by the ruling and are considering an appeal.
The judge said Ashers are "conducting a business for profit", they are not a religious group. Damages of £500 were agreed in advance by legal teams on both sides of the dispute.
They were found to have discriminated against Mr Lee on the grounds of sexual orientation as well as his political beliefs. A lawyer for Mr Lee said the money would be donated to charity.
The judge said she accepted that Ashers have "genuine and deeply held" religious views, but said they were not above the law. The judge said Ashers is "conducting a business for profit", and it is not a religious group.
BBC NI reporter Mark Simpson said there was "dignified, calm silence from all sides in court" as the judge explained his decision. The firm was found to have discriminated against Mr Lee on the grounds of sexual orientation as well as his political beliefs.
The judge has been speaking for more than a hour, but has not revealed what sanction Ashers will face. The judge said she accepted that Ashers has "genuine and deeply held" religious views, but said the business was not above the law.
Mr Lee had claimed the bakery discriminated against him on the grounds of his sexual orientation. Mr Lee had claimed the bakery discriminated against him on the grounds of his sexual orientation and he was assisted in taking legal action by the Equality Commission.
Ashers said the slogan was against their Christian beliefs. Speaking outside Belfast County Court after the ruling, Ashers general manager Daniel McArthur said his company was "extremely disappointed with the judgment".
Speaking outside Belfast County Court ahead of Tuesday's ruling, Ashers general manager Daniel McArthur said: "We happily serve everyone but we cannot promote a cause that goes against what the Bible says about marriage. "We've said from the start that our issue was with the message on the cake, not with the customer and that we didn't know what the sexual orientation of Mr Lee was, and it wasn't relevant either. We've always been happy to serve any customers who come into our shops.
"We have tried to be guided in our actions by our Christian beliefs." "The ruling suggests that all business owners will have to be willing to promote any cause or campaign, no matter how much they disagree with it."
Reacting to the decision, Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness tweeted: "Asher's bakery judgement a good result for equality, gay people have for far too long been discriminated against. We and the law on their side." Mr McArthur said he did not believe his bakery had done anything wrong and would be taking further legal advice after the ruling.
However, DUP assembly member David McIlveen tweeted: "Utterly sickened that a Christian owned business has been hauled over the coals for refusing to promote something that is not legal in NI." The chief commissioner of the Equality Commission, Michael Wardlow, said the ruling had "vindicated" both his organisation's decision to support Mr Lee's case and the need for the watchdog itself "to be in existence".
"We started off by saying that we believed that there had been a discriminatory act. The judge has upheld it - that both under sexual orientation regulations, political and religious opinion, that there were discriminatory acts."
Mr Wardlow added: "We're here to help people who otherwise couldn't help themselves and in this particular case it's clear that Gareth was discriminated against, the judge has made that clear."
Reacting to the decision, Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness tweeted: "Ashers bakery judgement a good result for equality, gay people have for far too long been discriminated against. We and the law on their side."
John O'Doherty, of gay rights group the Rainbow Project, said: "While sympathetic as some may be to the position in which the company finds itself, this does not change the facts of the case.
"The judge clearly articulated that this is direct discrimination for which there can be no justification."
However, DUP MLA Paul Givan, who has proposed that lawmakers in the Northern Ireland Assembly introduce a "conscience clause" as a result of the Ashers case, said many Christians would view the ruling as "an attack" on their religious convictions.
"What we cannot have is a hierarchy of rights, and today there's a clear hierarchy being established that gay rights are more important than the rights of people to hold religious beliefs," Mr Givan added.
Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister said it was "a dark day for justice and religious freedom in Northern Ireland".Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister said it was "a dark day for justice and religious freedom in Northern Ireland".
But SDLP MLA Colum Eastwood tweeted: "Today's judgment is a welcome and re-fortifying of our hard-won equality laws."