Sexual Orientation Regulations

Christians throughout the UK were given more protections from ‘gay rights’ regulations because of a ruling given in the Belfast High Court in September 2007.

In a significant victory for religious liberty, Mr Justice Weatherup narrowed aspects of Northern Ireland’s Sexual Orientation Regulations – with some direct implications for Christians in the rest of the UK.

The case was brought to the High Court by The Christian Institute and a group of evangelical denominations in Northern Ireland.

The ruling made the following key changes:

• – Harassment, which threatened free speech, was deleted.
• – The regulations do not apply to the curriculum or to teaching.
• – The effect on publicly-funded faith-based projects has been narrowed.
• – Article 9 rights to religious liberty can block the Regulations.
• – Lower courts should consider a Canadian judgment which said Christians should not be forced to act against their core religious beliefs
• – It was established as a finding of fact that the orthodox Christian belief is that the practice of homosexuality is sinful