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Registrar says 'I won't' to gay weddings and sues council over ceremonies which offend her religious beliefs
Last updated at 00:37am on 07.01.08A marriage registrar has sparked a major legal challenge to the acceptance of gay weddings by refusing to carry out the controversial ceremonies.
The woman, a devout Christian, is taking action against Islington Council, saying the civil partnership ceremonies she has been asked to perform are against her religious beliefs.
More than 300 homosexual couples a year have been tying the knot in the North London borough since the ceremony became legal in 2005 – but the unnamed registrar has refused to take any part in them.
Her stance has escalated into a full-scale dispute with her employers, who she is now taking to an employment tribunal, in the first case of its kind.
When the Civil Partnership Act came into force on December 21, 2005, the council, which was then Labour-controlled, celebrated in style, naming the day Pink Wednesday and giving town hall staff pink buttonholes to wear as they served champagne to guests.
The first gay couple to "marry" at the imposing building were Islington council employees Viktoria Kingsley, from New Zealand, and Fiona Dunning, from Australia.
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Big day: Actor Sir Anthony Sher (right) 'married' his partner Greg Doran on the first day the ceremony was offered
Actor Sir Antony Sher also made the commitment to his long-term partner, theatre director Greg Doran, on the first day.
Speaking on the Islington Town Hall steps, Sir Antony said it was an historic day not just for the gay movement but for human rights.
"I feel very proud this is happening in this country and that we can be part of the very first group to have it done," he said.
Since then, more than 600 gay couples have tied the knot in Islington, making it Britain's third most popular borough for the ceremony, just behind Kensington and Chelsea and top-placed Westminster.
A wedding at Islington Town Hall carries much of the pomp of a traditional church ceremony.
Guests are encouraged to dress as they would for a religious service, and the elegant wedding room boasts marble floors and arched ceilings.
More than 18,000 civil partnerships took place in Britain in 2006, with the numbers thought to be still rising.
Registering as civil partners gives same-sex couples the same tax, employment and pension benefits as married heterosexual couples.
But the legislation provoked protest from evangelical Christians, who said it devalued the sanctity of marriage.
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Popular: More than 600 gay couples have tied the knot at Islington Town Hall
Among high-profile gay couples who have formalised their relationships in the last two years are Sir Elton John and David Furnish; Little Britain star Matt Lucas and Kevin McGee; and Labour Health Minister Ben Bradshaw and BBC producer Neal Dalgleish.
Last night Islington Council, which is now Lib Dem-dominated, confirmed the tribunal was pending but refused to give any further information.
In a statement, it said: "A claim has been made to an employment tribunal which Islington Council is defending robustly. The council does not intend to comment further."
Reader views (16)
Good for her! An example of intolerance on the council's part. This is infringement of her (and my) Christian, religious beliefs. I fully support her.
- Dries, Essex, 08/01/2008 19:52
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Excuse me for resorting to the often used "slippery slope" argument so favoured by those opposed to social change, but if this lady is allowed to exempt herself from official duties due to her personal beliefs, does this not mean a racist Registrar could seek a similar exemption from overseeing mixed-race civil marriages?
Registrars are not appointed to interpret the law, only to follow it. If this lady genuinely cannot reconcile the duties of her job with her religious beliefs she needs to find alternative employment. I hope the tribunal throw her complaint out.
- David, London, 07/01/2008 19:36
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A sad example of intolerance, which I fail to see is Christ like in any way.
- George Hopper, Billericay UK, 07/01/2008 14:56
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Give it a few days and there will be a vacancy advert for a registrar with an emphasis on equal opportunities.
- Marcus, Ipswich, UK, 07/01/2008 07:57
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Civil Partnerships were not part of the duties that this person took on when she became a registrar therefore she should not be forced to officiate at these occasions if she feels uncomfortable with them. In any case, what couple would want to have someone with such prejudices conducting their ceremony?
- S Williams, Southampton, 06/01/2008 22:14
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Hopefully there is a job waiting for her in the Church of England when she resigns due to being unable to carry out her duties.
- Tim, London, 06/01/2008 21:27
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She gets paid to do a job of work and she should just get on with it. Civil partnerships harm no-one.
- John, London, UK, 06/01/2008 17:39
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Heavens. Keith and I were civilly partnered by an Islington Borough registrar. She and her assistant were fantastic and helped make the day go really well for everyone. Either she was a different person to this bizarre litigant, or she was a really good actress!
- Graeme Archer, Hackney, London, 06/01/2008 17:33
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If she's not willing to carry out the duties associated with her job, then she shouldn't be in it. If she used any excuse other than religion to avoid part of her work she would rightly be sacked - she should be in this case too. Superstition has no place in law.
- Mark, Islington, 06/01/2008 13:53
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Could you imagine an atheist registrar refusing to officiate at a ceremony which included religious elements?
Why do some of those with religious beliefs always expect special treatment not afforded to anyone else?
- Martin, York, 06/01/2008 12:57
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Isn't Christianity supposed to be about love and tolerance and acceptance of people?
I forgive this woman for her intolerance and hope that one day she wakes up and becomes a real Christian.
- Lubin Odana, Lancashire, UK, 06/01/2008 11:51
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How this woman can take action against Islington Council for being asked to do her job is beyond me! Nothing in Christian doctrine justifies what she is trying to do. The law of the land is on the side of Civil Partnerships and of equality.
- Patrick Ardagh-Walter, Oxford UK, 06/01/2008 11:48
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Surely, one of the defining characteristics of being a registrar is catering to the needs of either non-religious, or atheist, people. It is an inherently non-religious position in practice. So why is she therefore trying to drag religion into the situation? Does she object to conducting ceremonies for atheists? Or, non-practising Jews? She should not be a registrar if she holds such intransigent views. Her case seems to have little basis.
- Glyn, Hackney, London, 06/01/2008 11:34
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There is no place for religion in civil partnerships or civil marriages. Prayers, hymns and religious texts of all kind are banned from these ceremonies. What, then, is she doing by trying to introduce her religious beliefs into this civil ceremony?
- Andrew, London, 06/01/2008 11:03
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She's not being asked to 'bless' these unions - she's presiding over the signing of a legal document which has been approved by our democratically elected Parliament. The whole idea of the civil partnership was to get around the religious objections to calling a gay relationship a 'marriage'. If she doesn't like gays then she should either behave like a professional and get on with her job or resign.
- Andrew, London, 06/01/2008 11:00
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Does everyone have to conform to her religious beliefs? What about people of other religions or atheists? Religion is only a part of marriage if the couple wants it to be. She should be dismissed for not doing her job.
- Robguy, Sydney, Australia, 06/01/2008 05:01
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