Bakery 'Unjustified' Over Gay Cake Refusal

A family baker's decision to refuse to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan because of Christian beliefs was "unjustifiable", a court has been told.

The refusal was as wrong as a postman refusing to post a letter, a lawyer for gay rights activist Gareth Lee said.

Robin Allen QC is acting for Mr Lee with the backing of Northern Ireland's Equality Commission in bringing a case against Belfast-based Ashers bakery, owned by the McArthur family.

Ashers refused to make a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto "Support Gay Marriage" arguing their religious beliefs were in conflict with the message on the cake.

Mr Lee's QC said an objection on religious grounds was not lawful and just because the bakers baked the cake, it did not mean they had to support the message.

"A postman taking a letter to the door or a printer carrying out a printing job - nobody would say that involved promoting or support," he told District Judge Isobel Brownlie, who is hearing the case at Belfast County Court.

"It's simply a functional relationship, a working relationship."

He argued that his client had seen a leaflet advertising the edible icing cake service, without putting religious restrictions on what could be written.

Mr Lee, who had bought from the baker on a regular basis, made the order and it was accepted and paid for.

"A contract was therefore concluded," he said.

The barrister urged the judge not to let the considerable amount of publicity the case had attracted affect the outcome.

"Law must not be determined by those who shout loudest," he said. "This is a case about commerce and discrimination."

The case has divided opinion sharply with criticism of the state-funded commission for backing Mr Lee.

Those supporting him say the bakery is a million-pound business, not a "David" to the Equality Commission's "Goliath".