Judge attacks Lord Carey over calls for special court for Christians

Lord Justice Laws described Lord Carey's, above, suggestion as 'irrational'
12 April 2012

A senior judge today delivered a stinging attack on demands by a former Archbishop of Canterbury for a special court for Christians.

Lord Carey had called for a specially constituted panel of judges with a "proven sensitivity and understanding of religious issues".

But Lord Justice Laws described the suggestion that Christianity should be protected more than other faiths by law as "irrational" and "divisive, capricious and arbitrary".

One faith group said his judgment could lead to Christians being barred from jobs such as teaching, social work and counselling.

Lord Carey had written to the judge in support of a Christian relationship counsellor who was appealing against his sacking for refusing to give sex therapy to homosexual couples. Father-of-two Gary McFarlane, 48, from Bristol, said the Bible considered same-sex activity to be "sinful" and had been sacked by Relate Avon in 2008.

His counsel Paul Diamond said religious freedoms "now counted for nothing". He went on to predict "civil unrest" unless the "established faith in this land" was respected.

Lord Justice Laws today rejected Mr McFarlane's appeal and refused to accept that any judge had "likened Christians to bigots".

"They administer the law in accordance with the judicial oath - without fear or favour, affection or ill-will," he said. The judge went on: "Lord Carey's statement also contains a plea for a special court The precepts of any one religion cannot sound any louder in the general law than any other."

Outside the High Court, Andrea Williams, director of the Christian Law Centre, said the judge had "misunderstood faith", adding: "This judgment could lead to the creation of a religious bar on some jobs."

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