Revealed: Registrar who says she won't do gay weddings... and is now taking council to a tribunal

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A crucifix worn prominently around her neck, this is the marriage registrar at the centre of a landmark legal case over her opposition to gay weddings.

Lillian Ladele has launched proceedings against Islington Council in North London, claiming that to officiate at civil partnership ceremonies between same-sex couples is incompatible with her religious principles.

Her refusal to supervise such unions has brought her into conflict with the council, where she has worked for more than ten years.

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Objection: Lillian Ladele's beliefs are being challenged

Now she is taking her case to an employment tribunal, claiming "discrimination or victimisation on grounds of religion or belief".

Until last month, Britain's 1,700 registrars of births, marriages and deaths worked, in effect, on a freelance basis under the supervision of the Registrar General.

This gave them the freedom to opt out of civil partnership ceremonies if they chose to do so.

But their employment status was changed on December 1 by a new law, the Statistics and Registration Act, which brought them under the control of town halls.

As local government workers, they must now carry out council officers' instructions.

Ms Ladele, who earns £31,000 a year, launched her legal action on November 28 - two days before the new legislation came into force.

She intends to represent herself at the tribunal, which is expected to hear her case later this year.

Last week she was carrying out her duties as normal, marrying couples at Islington Town Hall, where hundreds of gay weddings have taken place over the past two years.

But the dispute - revealed by The Mail on Sunday last week - is already arousing strong passions. Stephen

Green, founder of Christian Voice, the evangelical organisation that tried to stop the BBC screening Jerry Springer: The Opera because of the hit musical's "blasphemous" content, said: "I have a great deal of sympathy with this lady. She signed up for the honourable job of joining men and women in marriage.

"Now she is being asked to solemnise pretend unions of homosexuals. No wonder she feels aggrieved."

Former Tory Home Office Minister Ann Widdecombe said: "Nobody is being denied a civil partnership - they are merely being denied a civil partnership from one person.

"The terms of engagement for marriage registrars have been changed unilaterally. There should be a right of refusal for those who have a conscientious objection to carrying out these ceremonies."

But the gay rights campaign group Stonewall said Ms Ladele's opposition to civil partnerships, which were given legal recognition in 2005, was unjustified.

"All public servants are paid to uphold the law of the land," said a spokesman.

"Doubtless there were those 40 years ago who claimed a moral objection to mixed marriages between people of different ethnic origin. Discrimination on any basis is equally unacceptable."

Mark Rimmer of LACORS, the local authority employers' organisation, who deals with matters affectingregistrars, said: "This case will determine whether it is legal to discriminate against someone while upholding one's own human rights and religious beliefs. Case law would indicate that this argument is not likely to be upheld."

A spokesman for Liberal Democratcontrolled Islington Council said: "The legal position is rather complex and the issues will no doubt be explored at the tribunal."

Ms Ladele declined to comment.

 

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