Daniel and Amy McArthur who are at the centre of a court case in Belfast The Belfast-based bakers who were sued for refusing to make a cake supporting same-sex marriage have appealed this week to the UK Supreme Court to overturn their prosecution for discrimination. Speaking ahead of the hearing on Tuesday, Daniel McArthur, general manager of Ashers Baking Company, said “some people want the law to make us support something with which we disagree” as the controversial ‘gay cake’ case went before the Supreme Court sitting in Belfast.
Britain’s highest court is considering an appeal in the protracted and costly legal action against Ashers by the taxpayer-funded Equality Commission. Ashers has mounted a vigorous defence, supported by The Christian Institute.
The small family firm went to the Court of Appeal in Belfast in a bid to overturn a decision made initially by a County Court judge who decided it had broken political and sexual orientation discrimination laws.
The judge ruled against Ashers, run by the McArthur family, who are Christians, for refusing to fulfil an order to make a £36.50 cake with a slogan supporting same-sex marriage because it conflicted with their deeply-held religious beliefs.
Speaking outside the court this week Mr McArthur said: “Four years ago, my family came under attack for exercising our basic right to live according to our beliefs.
“We’d rather it hadn’t come to this. But the Equality Commission has pushed for an interpretation of the law which extinguishes conscience,” he said.
The judgement is expected to be reserved until a later date.