24/10/2016 BBC Newsline

has lost its appeal in a discrimination case.

The judges agreed it was wrong for the firm to refuse to make

a cake with a decoration that supported same-sex marriage

even if the statement was against their beliefs.

BBC Newsline's Tara Mills was in the court.

The argument over this image on a cake has lasted

over two years and cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

But of course, this court battle has been about much more than a cake.

Last year, a court found the owners of the bakery had

discriminated against Gareth Lee by refusing to make it.

They arrived at court hoping for a favourable outcome

but the judges rejected their appeal.

The judges said just because they were going to put

the message on the cake, it did not mean they believed

in the same way that if they baked a Halloween cake,

it did not mean they believed in witches.

We would not decorate a cake with a pornographic picture

We would not even decorate a cake with a cruel

because to do so would be to endorse and promote it.

The court said the commission gave the impression it was not interested

in assisting the faith community in issues like this.

Well, I think a lot of people agree with that today

and that is certainly how we felt.

The customer who took the original case has remained publicly silent

throughout, but today he briefly spoke to the assembled media.

The only thing I would like to say is that I am relieved but also very

grateful to the Court of Appeals for the judgment,

Relief as well from the Equality Commission,

It said unequivocally faith is important

but it cannot set aside the equality legislation

The Appeal Court judges said the company was

In other words, they could not pick and choose which

So, what are the wider ramifications?

Like the case itself, it depends what side you ask.

For so many LGBT people across Northern Ireland these have

People have been contacting us about going to a local restaurant,

booking hotel rooms and whether or not they can

participate in society and it will be a great of relief

for the community across Northern Ireland today.

What about the Catholic baker asked to produce a cake with a message

supporting abortion, does he have to do it?

What about a Muslim printer asked to print cartoons of Muhammad?

Does he have to because of this ruling?

These are serious issues and the court has thrown

The couple walked away from court today

but it is not clear if that is the end of it.

They could decide to make a further appeal to the House of Lords.

Earlier on BBC Newsline, I spoke to the legal affairs

The cushions of. A pathetic and open du

to be? To take the -- how specific and open? I think a Islam printer

would have to print anything lawful that a customer asked them to do. It

does not follow that a bigger has to put anything on a cake, despite what

the couple were seen today. We understand they have stopped making

cakes to order, apart from birthday cakes, which are pretty safe. If you

only make birthday cakes, there is no problem. It is if you say you're

going to make custom made cakes and the customer can order whatever he

or she likes on it, that is what you have to do.

But if you say you're not going to make this book takes a toll, there

is no problem. If the couple but on the big riches to take this further,

what options are open to them? The only court they could go to now is

the United Kingdom Supreme Court in London, which has replaced the House

of Lords, and you need permission either from the court in Belfast or

the Supreme Court itself. There may be technical problems, because this

was a special type of appeal to the court in Belfast. It is what is

called an appeal by way of case stated, which means the district

judge as the number of questions to the appeal judges and was told she

had got it right. That may make it difficult on technical grounds, it

is just possible the Attorney General could challenge the

decision. He lost all so today. He argued that the Stormont did not

have the power to make this legislation, it was itself

discriminatory. That was thrown out, but he made payable to appeal. The

real question is money. If the Christian Institute, which has been

supporting the degree, going to be able to afford the risk of appeal

and the risk of paying Mr Lee's costs in the event that the court

rejects the appeal? The First and Deputy First Ministers

say there was widespread agreement that Northern Ireland is facing

"unique circumstances" The leaders of all the devolved

administrations met at Number Ten. Our Political Editor Mark Devenport

reports from Westminster. If there is a new broom at Downing

Street and quite a lot of tidying up to do in the wake of the Brexit

decision. Stormont's leaders used today's meeting to raise their

concerns about the movement of people and goods across the border

after the UK leads the EU. There will be more discussions, but as the

talking goes on, the moment when the Prime Minister will formally trigger

the UK's departure gets closer. I think she has made it clear that she

wants to go forward into negotiations with the European Union

was an understanding and with sure knowledge as to how it is going to

impact the whole of the United Kingdom. I very much welcome that,

because what we want to see after we exit the EU is a United Kingdom that

works for everybody. The test will be how this Prime Minister deals

with the issues of concern that we have raised through what will be a

very, I suppose, historic negotiation. That test has yet to be

accomplished. It is a complex balancing act. The Scottish First

Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, wants to stay in the European single market.

She will be keeping a close eye on a flexibility is offered Northern

Ireland and demanding equal treatment. The position of Northern

Ireland will be a particular position because Northern Ireland

will be the one part of the UK with a land border with a country that

will be remaining inside the European Union. And so it is in...

Given that fact, there is goodwill and a good spirit from both this

government and the Republic of Ireland government to ensure that

arrangements put in place in the future do not entail a return to

borders of the past. We want this to strengthen the United Kingdom,

strengthen those very special bonds that bind together each of the

different nations, and have that at the heart of the government. Over

the next few months, the Brexit secretary, David Davis, will chair

meetings in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, working through the

nitty-gritty of her leaving the EU will impact on each region. The

first and Deputy First Ministers say they have heard UK ministers

acknowledge Northern Ireland unique circumstances. Now, in the months

ahead, they want the UK Government's actions to match those words. Mark

Devenport, BBC Newsline, Westminster. A man is in a critical

condition after being knocked down in Consett iron earlier this

evening. -- in County Tyrone. Two men and a woman have been

arrested in Belfast during a police investigation into dissident

Republican activity. Items were recovered

following searches at Hamill Street and Foxes Glen in

the west of the city. The GAA has a revised development

plan for Casement Park in Belfast. It's ditched the 38,000-seater idea

for a smaller stadium which it hopes will get

the approval from local residents. BBC Newsline's Mark

Simpson reports. It is still a big stadium,

but rather than having room the proposed new Casement Park

will have a capacity of 34,500 fans. It is a change, and it is not

the only one the GAA has planned. We have included terracing capacity

of 8,500, so the GAA has set aside its ambition for

an all-seated facility. We have done that because we wanted

to listen to the community, to address their concerns

on the scale, height and mass and we genuinely believe

that this is the day that will be seen as the GAA

signalling its willingness to listen and we still believe

we have an iconic facility there were concerns over

the emergency exits. But the GAA says they believe safety

experts will approve the new design. We have a high level of confidence

that they will sign this off in terms of being a vehicle

that is suitable for achieving the save capacity,

and in time we will apply to Belfast City Council

for a safety certificate. They got it wrong last

time, but have they got

it right this time? The first application was too big,

I agree, the stadium was too big. This is a real no-brainer

and you can see the massive positive impact it is going

to have in the whole area. For me, the community impact

is more important than the fact you have got

a stadium for a few games a year. have been invited to give their view

on the plans and that is expected

to happen later this week. The previous plan for a new stadium

ended up in the courts The GAA are hoping that this

time will be different and that the new Casement Park

will be open by the summer of 2020. Passengers on a flight from Belfast

to the US which had to make

an emergency landing in Shannon are staying there

overnight in hotels. They'll continue their journey

tomorrow. from the International Airport

to Newark, touched down safely. The pilot declared an emergency

not long after take-off. Our reporter David Maxwell reports

from Belfast International. United operate one flight per day

from here to Newark. This morning, that flight

took off shortly before 11:20am. It had 121 passengers

and nine crew on board. it developed a mechanical

issue to do with landing gear. An emergency was declared and that

flight headed towards Shannon Before it got there,

it spent some time at high altitude before conducting a low flight

over Shannon airport That allowed people on the ground

to observe the aircraft and make sure everything was OK before

it made a final approach and landed safely

shortly before 2:30pm. Those passengers are

still have to get to Newark. United Airlines say

they are providing and have apologised for any

inconvenience caused today. David Maxwell,

Belfast International Airport. a 30 for a new swimming pool has

been put on hold while there is public consultation. Swimming clubs

are among those concerned about the design capacity. There will be more

on that in the morning. Now, with the weather forecast,

here's Angie Philips. It has been a start to the weekend

it is not looking particularly unsettled for much of the week

ahead. Brighty to begin with, but the winds will turn around and the

West. It becomes a bit more mobile may be gone. A bit more cloud and

breeze. Still not an awful lot of rain. Today, the winds have been a

life with cloud bubbling up. That melt away through the course of the

night, and as it does the temperatures and started to fall,

particularly in the countryside. Slightly below freezing in some

rural areas, giving us quite a bit of frost and some patches of mist

and fog, particularly across the size and into parts of the West. For

tomorrow, not a bad day. Dry, from sunshine coming through. But if you

do have the mist and fog, it is a cold start and it could take a

little while before it starts to left and the sun went through. If

fair amount of sunshine across the Republic and much of Scotland,

Northern England. Cloudier skies, and a few showers to begin with

across the South of England and the size of Wales. Starting today per

away. Not too chilly. Some of that cloud starts to move up into the

Republic of Ireland into the afternoon. I think we will find that

the sunshine becomes a bit easier in Northern Ireland through the

afternoon, with some high cloud edging in.