Crucifixes, neck-chains and food hygiene: Kovalkovs – Law & Religion UK

‘In Mr J Kovalkovs v 2 Sisters Food Group Limited [2022] UKET 4102454/2020, Mr Kovalkovs, an Orthodox Christian, was a quality inspector in 2 Sisters Food Group’s chicken processing factory. He wore a silver crucifix on a neck-chain as an expression of his faith. 2 Sisters’ Foreign Body Control policy stated that “jewellery must not be worn in the production areas on site, with the exception of a single plan band ring”. An exception was made for religious jewellery, subject to a risk assessment; however, the risk assessment concluded that “because the chain was made of links there was a risk of contamination” and there was a potential for “entanglement, entrapment or tearing”. Mr Kovalkovs refused to give up wearing his crucifix and was dismissed.’

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Law & Religion UK, 21st June 2022

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Ali v Heathrow Express Operating Company Ltd & Anor – Equality Law Blog

‘This decision is a reminder that, where unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic is not intended to offend, intimidate, etc, an objective test applies to the question whether conduct amounts to harassment. The claimant was a Muslim employee of Heathrow Express. He complained of harassment and direct discrimination connected with religion after receiving an email concerning a security test carried out by the second respondent, which was responsible for carrying out security checks at Heathrow Airport and Heathrow Express stations at the airport. The test in question had involved a bag containing a box, some electric cabling and, visible at the top, a piece of paper with the words “Allahu Akbar” written in Arabic. The email reporting on the results of the test and included images of the bag and the note.’

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Equality Law Blog, 24th May 2022

Source: equalitylawblog.com

Harassment in employment?: Ali v Heathrow Express – Law & Religion UK

‘Anis Ali, a Muslim, worked for the Heathrow Express which was at the relevant time run by the first respondent, Heathrow Express Operating Company Ltd. The second respondent, Redline Assured Security Ltd, was responsible for carrying out security checks at the airport and the Heathrow Express stations. The checks involved creating and leaving suspicious objects to test how security officers responded to them, and in August 2017 it carried out a test using a bag containing a box, some electric cable and, visible at the top, a piece of paper with the words “Allahu Akbar” written in Arabic. Subsequently, the Operating Company sent an e-mail reporting on the results of the test and including images of the bag and the note to a group of employees – including Mr Ali.’

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Law & Religion UK, 19th April 2022

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

‘Conversion therapy’: Ban to go-ahead but not cover trans people – BBC News

‘The government insists it will ban so-called conversion therapy for gay or bisexual people in England and Wales – but not for transgender people.’

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BBC News, 1st April 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Rastafarian woman humiliated by police strip order – BBC News

Posted February 2nd, 2022 in compensation, custody, news, police, religious discrimination, wrongful arrest by sally

‘The case of a Rastafarian woman who was sat naked in a police cell shows officers need greater understanding of minority groups, ex-senior officers have said.’

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BBC News, 2nd February 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Humanist marriage: MPs call for legal recognition of ceremonies – BBC News

Posted January 28th, 2022 in equality, marriage, news, religious discrimination by tracey

‘The UK government’s failure to legally recognise humanist weddings in England and Wales is “discriminatory”, MPs have argued, as they called for marriage reform.’

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BBC News, 27th January 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Nurse ‘victimised’ for wearing cross at work was unfairly dismissed, tribunal rules – The Guardian

Posted January 6th, 2022 in Christianity, hospitals, news, religious discrimination, unfair dismissal by sally

‘A nurse who claimed she was victimised for wearing a necklace with a Christian cross at work has won a case for unfair dismissal.’

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The Guardian, 5th January 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Fostering agencies and religious beliefs – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has recently ruled on the legality of a fostering agency’s requirement that potential carers must be Christians. Natasha Isaac examines the case.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 22nd October 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

New Judgment: Anwar v The Advocate General for Scotland (representing the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Scotland) [2021] UKSC 44 – UKSC Blog

‘The Supreme Court unanimously dismissed this appeal concerning the petition for judicial review against the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for failure to provide effective interim protection for successful workplace discrimination and harassment claims, in breach of EU law.’

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UKSC Blog, 13th October 2021

Source: ukscblog.com

Conversion therapy delay frustrates campaigners – BBC News

‘A public consultation into a proposed ban on so-called conversion therapy has been delayed by at least a month, until possibly the end of October.’

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BBC News, 25th September 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New Judgment: R (on the application of TN (Vietnam)) v Secretary of State for the Home Department and another [2021] UKSC 41 – UKSC Blog

‘The Supreme Court unanimously dismissed this appeal concerning the effect of structural unfairness in the Fast Track Procedure 2005 on individual appeal determinations.’

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UKSC Blog, 22nd September 2021

Source: ukscblog.com

New Judgment: R (on the application of TN (Vietnam)) v Secretary of State for the Home Department and another [2021] UKSC 41 – EIN Blog

‘The Supreme Court unanimously dismissed this appeal concerning the effect of structural unfairness in the Fast Track Procedure 2005 on individual appeal determinations.’

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EIN Blog, 22nd September 2021

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Unfair dismissal and religion again: Ferguson v Kintail Trustees – Law & Religion UK

‘In Mr K Ferguson v Kintail Trustees Ltd & Anor [2021] ET 4103321/2020, the claimant was Director and Chief Executive of Kintail Trustees, a limited company that operates as the corporate trustee of the Robertson Trust, a charity. He was also an elder, the treasurer and a trustee of Stirling Free Church of Scotland’

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Law & Religion UK, 9th August 2021

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

The UK Has Seen An Increase in Anti-Semitic Hate Crime – Each Other

Posted July 7th, 2021 in hate crime, Judaism, news, racism, religious discrimination, statistics by sally

‘In recent months, there has been a spike in the number of anti-Semitic hate crimes reported in the UK, including a pair of incidents where a Jewish man was targeted twice in the space of an hour while travelling in London.’

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Each Other, 6th July 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Boy, 11, referred to Prevent for wanting to give ‘alms to the oppressed’ – The Guardian

‘An 11-year-old primary school pupil was referred to the government’s controversial counter-radicalisation Prevent programme after a teacher mistook the word “alms” for “arms” during a classroom discussion.’

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The Guardian, 27th June 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Group accuses London borough of religious discrimination in planning dispute – Local Government Lawyer

Posted June 15th, 2021 in equality, Islam, local government, news, planning, religious discrimination by sally

‘The London Borough of Barnet has been accused of breaching equalities legislation by a Muslim group in a planning case.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th June 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

How Can Respecting the Right to Religion for Prisoners Make A Real Difference? – Each Other

‘Over the past twenty years, the proportion of prisoners from religious minorities has steadily increased. EachOther asks how can listening to minority voices improve the right to religion in prisons?’

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Each Other, 8th June 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Mental health tests in the presence of counter-terror units ‘unethical’, says charity – The Guardian

‘Mental health assessments are being conducted in the presence of police in little-known hubs that embed nurses and psychologists with counter-terrorism units, raising “serious ethical concerns”, a medical charity has said.’

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The Guardian, 19th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Swastikas, employment and “religious” symbols: Horvarth – UK Law & Religion

‘Istvan Horvarth started working at the Lidl store in Telford Hadley, Shropshire, in 2013. A colleague complained that Horvarth showed him his “swastika” tattoo and in April 2019 Horvarth was sacked. In Mr I Horvarth v Lidl Great Britain Ltd [2021] ET/ 1307164/2019, he claimed unfair dismissal and discrimination based on race and/or religion or belief. He also claimed that he had been subjected to a number of incidents of harassment related to his race from approximately 2016 onwards, immediately following the Brexit referendum [3]. Following two case management hearings before Employment Judge Flood, he withdrew his claims of discrimination based on religion and/or belief and they were dismissed in a judgment dated 22 May 2020 [2].’

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UK Law & Religion, 30th April 2021

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Advertising, religion and Articles 9 & 10 ECHR: Lancashire Festival of Hope – Law & Religion UK

‘In Lancashire Festival of Hope with Franklin Graham Limited v Blackpool Borough Council & Anor [2021] Manchester Cty Ct F00MA124, the Court was asked, in effect, to rule on whether or not a charitable limited company could be regarded as having “human rights” for the purposes of anti-discrimination legislation and the ECHR.’

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Law & Religion UK, 6th April 2021

Source: lawandreligionuk.com