Eminent lawyer joins Ashers' legal team

A leading law professor has joined the legal team representing the Christian bakers at the centre of the so-called '˜gay cake' case.
By The Newsroom
Published 16th Jan 2016, 08:50 BST
Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers) with wife Amy outside Laganside court in Belfast during last year's court caseDaniel McArthur (director of Ashers) with wife Amy outside Laganside court in Belfast during last year's court case
Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers) with wife Amy outside Laganside court in Belfast during last year's court case

Professor Christopher McCrudden of Queen’s University Belfast has been enlisted to the team headed up by David Scoffield QC.

Details of the appointment were revealed as lawyers for the bakery owners, the McArthur family, lodged court papers giving detailed explanations of the grounds for appeal.

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The appeal follows a court decision in 2015 which ruled that Ashers had discriminated against a customer by refusing to bake a £36.50 cake with a slogan supporting same-sex marriage.

Having ruled that the company acted unlawfully, the judge ordered Ashers to pay £500 damages for treating the customer “less favourably” in breach of political and sexual orientation discrimination regulation.

The McArthurs have been supported by The Christian Institute, whose spokesman Simon Calvert said the professor’s “experience and knowledge of human rights and equality law will be of incalculable assistance”.