Daniel and Amy McArthur of Ashers Bakery. The UK’s highest court has ruled that a Northern Ireland bakery’s refusal to make a cake with a message supporting same-sex marriage was not discriminatory.
The Supreme Court found on October 10 that the Christian owners of Ashers bakery did not discriminate against a customer and did not refuse to bake the cake because of the customer’s sexual orientation, religious belief or political opinion.
Bakery owners Daniel and Amy McArthur have been involved in the legal dispute since 2014, when gay rights activist Gareth Lee sued the bakery for refusing to bake a cake with the slogan ‘Support Gay Marriage’, on grounds of sexual orientation and political beliefs.
Mr Lee won his case initially in the country court and then at the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal, which prompted the couple last year to launch an appeal in the UK Supreme Court.
The court ruled unanimously in favour of the appeal, stating that there were no grounds for discrimination in refusing to bake the cake.
Lady Hale, the president of the Supreme Court, ruled that the bakers did not refuse to fulfil Mr Lee’s order because of his sexual orientation.
“They would have refused to make such a cake for any customer, irrespective of their sexual orientation,” she said.
“Their objection was to the message on the cake, not to the personal characteristics of Mr Lee.”