Freedom of conscience’ is on trial’ at an upcoming case before the European Court of Human Rights.

The litigant who took Asher’s Bakery to court for refusing to furnish him with a cake that said “Support Gay Marriage” lost his case in the UK Supreme Court. Now he has appealed to Europe.

In support of the Bakery, Legal Counsel for ADF International, Lorcán Price, said nobody should be forced to act against their deeply held beliefs, or to choose between their conscience and their profession.

“The right to freedom of religion and conscience contains the right to act accordingly, including in a professional setting. In its judgment in 2018 the UK Supreme Court rightly upheld the religious rights of service providers.”

The UK Supreme Court drew attention to the fact that the Ashers Baking Company declined to create a particular message; they did not decline to serve the customer.

“If creative professionals are forced to create messages with which they profoundly disagree, the implications are wide-ranging for many others in society,” said Robert Clarke, Deputy Director of ADF International.