Registrar religious beliefs must not undermine gay partnership law - Sarah Ludford

4.43.33pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 16th Jul 2008

Sarah Ludford MEP leading the Liberal Democrat marchers at London Gay Pride last year

In a move that aroused interest across Europe, Islington Council has decided to appeal against a tribunal judgment that they discriminated against registrar Lillian Ladele by requiring her to officiate at gay civil partnerships despite her religious beliefs. London MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford, the Liberal Democrat European justice & human rights spokeswoman and a former Islington councillor, has welcomed the decision to appeal.

Sarah Ludford, a member of the European Parliament's civil liberties and human rights committees and of the gay and lesbian rights intergroup of MEPs, said:

"If the Ladele tribunal stands, it will mean that an individual's personal religious beliefs can undermine the delivery of public services according to the law. It should be possible for personal beliefs and public duty to be separated."

Sarah Ludford and her Liberal MEP colleagues recently fought a successful battle for a draft EU Directive to outlaw discrimination against customers on the grounds of sexual orientation. In the UK, though, such a law already exists.

Sarah Ludford added:

"It would be interesting see if a gay couple might themselves be able to sue under the 2007 UK law which bans discrimination against gay customers of services. The law should ensure that ostensibly religiously-motivated people in public service cannot treat gay people as second-class citizens."