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Islington Tribune - by JAMIE WELHAM
Published: 25 January 2008

Lillian Ladele

MP tells registrar in gay marriage row to
‘Get on with your job’

Top lawyer sees gay marriage row as ‘clash of rights’

LABOUR MP Emily Thornberry has launched a withering attack on the Islington registrar refusing to conduct gay weddings, telling her: “Get on with the job.”
Lillian Ladele is taking the Town Hall to an unprecedented employment tribunal claiming that she should not be made to preside over civil partnerships because they clash with her Christian principles.
Employment lawyers said the outcome of the case is impossible to predict because the tribunal will be forced to choose between the right to hold religious beliefs and the right to equality.
Ms Thornberry, commenting on the case for the first time this week, said: “I cannot sit by whilst others attempt to undermine equality in the provision of public service on any basis.”
Chris Benson, from Leigh Day and Co, said the pending tribunal has attracted the attention of the entire legal profession.
He said: “It is so rare. The only similar case I can think of is a judge who took the Department for Constitutional Affairs to an employment tribunal because he said placing children with same sex families went against his beliefs.
“It is difficult to look into a crystal ball and predict what might happen but I suspect her case will simply be based on the change in the law in October, her religious beliefs and the fact that she is an employee.
“She doesn’t need anything more than that set of circumstances to have a case. The council will probably say they have a non-discrimination policy and are not prepared to discriminate against same sex couples.
“It is a simple clash of rights and the question will be which is deemed more important. Does sexual orientation trump religion?”
Mrs Ladele, who has worked at the Town Hall for 10 years, has not been required to carry out any of the 600-plus civil partnerships since they were legalised in 2005. A change in legislation means she is now under direct control of the council and is therefore duty-bound to officiate them.
A source at the Employment Tribunals office in Holborn told the Tribune that Mrs Ladele is claiming “discrimination of victimisation on grounds of religion or belief”.
Andrew Pakula, minister of the Islington Unitarian Church said: “I am appalled to find lingering homophobia in our local government. [...] I hope that other denominations will join me in standing up for the rights of same-sex couples by condemning Ms Ladele’s action.”
Evangelical leader David Curtis from the New Wine Christian Fellowship expressed sympathy for Mrs Ladele’s plight. He said: “I see it as not dissimilar to Christians refusing to work on Sundays. She has taken a conscientious decision and is not breaking the law.”
A preliminary hearing for the case is scheduled for next month, where a date will be agreed for the full proceedings.

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