LGBT Labour has welcomed an Employment Appeal Tribunal decision to overturn registrar Lillian Ladele’s legal victory earlier this year which supported her refusal to conduct civil partnership ceremonies.

Ms Ladele, a former employee at Islington Council, won a legal fight with the local authority this summer when she claimed to have suffered discrimination after refusing to officiate over civil partnerships.

In a decision that shocked the LGBT community, the original tribunal vindicated Ms Ladele’s stance – but the council agreed to appeal the decision following widespread calls not to let the ruling stand.

Reacting to the success of the appeal, LGBT Labour co-chair Simon Wright said: “We are very pleased – and relieved – by the appeal tribunal’s decision. The civil partnership law has been a great achievement by the Labour Government, and we believe any challenge to the equality it enshrines must be fought. We urge the local authority to continue this fight if, as may be the case, Ms Ladele tries to take this case to the Court of Appeal”

The appeal tribunal ruled that the original tribunal had “erred in law”, though they also reserved criticism for Islington Council’s handling of the matter.

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