The Christian Institute has launched a petition to support the owners of Ashers Bakery in Northern Ireland ahead of the bakery’s appeal against a decision that they were guilty of discrimination for not baking a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan on it.

Ashers Bakery had faced legal censure in May of 2015 when a judge ruled that a refusal by the Christian owners of the business had discriminated against a gay rights activist in refusing to back a cake bearing the slogan ‘Support Gay Marriage’.

While the case was brought by the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland, Ashers’ owners, the McArthur family, were supported in its defence of free speech and freedom of conscience by The Christian Institute, which continues that backing with the appeal beginning on Wednesday.

Speaking about the case earlier this year, Simon Calvert of The Christian Institute said: “We’re confident that Ashers’ grounds of appeal are strong. There are a number of areas where the county court simply misapplied discrimination law.

“Ashers’ lawyers will also show how the court’s approach breached the right of a person not to be compelled to express views to which they have a strong objection.

“We believe that compelled speech is dangerous because it runs the risk of forcing people to act against their consciences.”

Mr Calvert added that the McArthur family has taken “great encouragement from the truly astonishing support they have received from ordinary men and women from Northern Ireland and across the world”.

“The case has struck a chord with so many people of all faiths and none including supporters of same-sex marriage who have been equally outraged by this action against Ashers,” he said.

The Institute’s petition, which states “I support Ashers Baking Co and the McArthur family in their stand for freedom of speech and freedom of conscience” can be signed here.