Self-Autonomy Means Tyranny Over Others

Christian Bakery Loses Appeal over ‘Gay Cake’ Discrimination Conviction

Donna Rachel Edmunds
Breitbart London

The Christian owners of Ashers Baking Company have lost their appeal to overturn a conviction which found them guilty of discrimination for refusing to make a cake bearing a slogan which promoted gay marriage.

The Court of Appeal in Belfast upheld the previous judgement, filed last year, which found that the company had discriminated against local gay rights activist Gareth Lee by failing to provide a cake bearing a picture of Bert and Ernie with the slogan “support gay marriage”. The initial judgement ordered them to pay £500 in compensation to Mr. Lee.

The owners, Daniel and Amy MacArthur, said that they were happy to serve Mr. Lee, but felt unable to make a cake endorsing a message they did not agree with. They, therefore, argued that they had not discriminated against Mr. Lee, but had merely declined to support his cause.

Speaking on their behalf during the case, John Larkin QC, Attorney General for Northern Ireland, said if the County Court ruling against Ashers was right, the laws used against the bakery fall foul of Northern Ireland’s constitutional law.

Letter From the UK (About an Important Northern Ireland Free Speech Case)

Irish Pastor Charged With Hate Speech Judged "Not Guilty"

Liam Deacon
Breitbart London

James McConnell — the Northern Irish Pastor charged with making “grossly offensive” remarks about Islam —  has been found not guilty by a judge at Belfast Magistrates’ Court.

Mr. McConnell, 72, stood accused of a “hate crime” for “sending a malicious communication” after broadcasting a sermon on the Internet last year in which he described Islam as “heathen” and “satanic”. The charge carried a possible sentence of six months in jail.  District judge Liam McNally said: “The courts need to be very careful not to criticise speech which, however contemptible, is no more than offensive. It is not the task of the criminal law to censor offensive utterances, adding: “Accordingly I find Pastor McConnell not guilty of both charges”, the Belfast Telegraph reports.