Religion and belief discrimination

An employer’s refusal to allow a Muslim security guard time off during working hours to pray at his mosque was not religious discrimination. Its requirement that he remain at work during Friday lunchtime was justified because of its operational needs; specifically the requirements of the contract on which the guard was engaged and the substantial cost (and possible cancellation of the contract) should the employer not provide the contractually-required cover. The employer had also suggested various alternatives to the employee in an effort to accommodate his religious convictions.

An employee’s passionate and long-standing opposition to fox hunting and hare coursing formed part of his belief in the sanctity of life and as such qualified as a protected philosophical belief under the law.

A former BBC employee’s belief that ‘public service broadcasting has the higher purpose of promoting cultural interchange and social cohesion’ is a philosophical belief capable of protection under the law.

Mr Power, the police trainer, who generated much press coverage in 2009 following a finding that his belief in spiritualism was protected under equality law, has lost the latest round of his battle to prove that his beliefs caused his dismissal.

A Christian counsellor who was sacked after refusing to work with gay couples has been refused permission to take his case to the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal has upheld an EAT decision that a Christian British Airways worker was not indirectly discriminated against on the grounds of her religion when her employer forbade her wearing a visible religious cross at work.