EHRC launches consultation on discrimination cases

I meant, of course, EHRC!
It was a long day, even by 1.41pm....

I have a particular issue with the counsellor. This is a profession in which the ethical & profession guidelines mean that you should be aware of your own prejudices and be able to put them aside & work with the client sitting across from you, no matter the differences. You should be able to empathise & put yourself in their shoes, no matter how different those shoes are from yours. I'm appalled that anyone working in that field would refuse to deal with any client based on different points of view.

As for the registrar- while I abhor their position, especially since they provide a public service, I can see an argument that an employer may be able to accommodate this conflict between personal religious belief & the organisation's legal obligations. If the common stat of 10% of the population being gay is correct, and we assume not everyone who is gay enters into a civil partnership, it might be possible that those who have religious objections can be accommodated.
I suppose the question here is whether publicly-funded services should be employing people who apply prejudice to their work.

However, I think HMRC are correct in trying to get the law clarified and these cases are very good examples of the conflict that can arise between the different protected characteristics. Hopefully the ECJ will issue helpful guidance as a result.

Susan - when you use the word "deviations" what are you referring to? In the cases being discussed the law found against four people who wnated to act n a way they saw as being consistent with the religious beliefs - in each case, I think, those beliefs were Christian. I assume from your post that these are the "innocent" you refer to.

That leads me to assume that the people with deviations are the management who refused the two women permission to wear cricifixes and the LGB people who were recipients (or non-recipients) of services from Mr McFarlane and Ms Ladele.

I'm rather hoping you don't mean to say that LGB people have deviations - but suspect that is exactly what you mean!

Why is everyone making mountains out of mole hills? Why shouldn't these people have this choice. I'm sure there are plenty of others who would step in to do this job instead. This is a touchy subject but everyone has a right to their beliefs on either side. Both are right no one can win here! What a waste of tax payers money! Accept the difference and get on with your life! The law seems very biased towards the innocent in trying to protect those with deviations! Both should have the rights!

What a fantastic idea, if politicians invested in some consultation software rather than spending the budget on building ponds in their gardens then we would be one more step closer to a truly democratic society (as opposed to the current democratic dictatorship).
A little miffed that this is in the premium area but understand why!
Here’s my two pence.
Nadia Eweida and Shirley Chaplin – These two seem to genuinely believe that they should wear their crosses. As long as there was not H&S risk and if they agreed to wear them under their clothing to prevent offending non-christians then who’s to say no.
Gary Mcfarlane and Lillian Ladele deserve everything they get. They should be permanently barred from ever working as a counsellor or registrar respectively. They believe they have a right to be bigoted Hitlers using their small amount of power to purposely mentally scar poor LGBT people and should one of those LGBT people take their lives then Gary and Lillian should also be put away for murder.
People like this don’t deserve to be out in public unless they can keep their vile thoughts where they belong - the rubbish tip (i.e in their heads). Which they clearly can’t
This travesty CANNOT and SHOULD not be allowed by ECHR otherwise the whole human right aspect is blown completely out of the window! I’m only shocked they were allowed to bring this trumped up nazi march to Strasbourg. Usually the courts have more sense than that!

Rant over