Cost of Ashers case could have bought 13,700 cakes

The cake purchased by Gareth Lee for £36.50 was for a private party at Bangor Castle run by the group QueerSpace.

The text of the Supreme Court judgment notes the party – to take place about two-and-a-half weeks after he ordered the cake – was to “mark the end of Northern Ireland anti-homophobia week and the political momentum towards same-sex marriage”.

Instead, four years and five months later, and after innumerable court appearances, the cost of the case has exceeded half-a-million pounds – roughly 13,700 times the price of the cake.

The Equality Commission said the cost is roughly £251,000, and it is believed the Christian Institute’s costs may be slightly higher still. It is not known what may happen next regarding the potential for the institute to recover its costs.