Although not a case in the employment arena, still of interest is the Court of Appeal’s decision which has confirmed that Christian hotel owners Mr & Mrs Bull discriminated against civil partners, Messrs Preddy & Hall, by refusing to allow them to share a double-bed.
The Chymorvah Hotel in Cornwall operated a strict policy refusing double bedrooms to unmarried couples. Upholding the County Court’s decision, the Court of Appeal held that the Claimants, having undergone a civil partnership ceremony, should be treated the same way as a married couple, and the only reason they were treated differently was because they were gay.
Of interest is the Court’s decision to reject Mr & Mrs Bull’s argument that the ‘no unmarried couples’ policy was simply a manifestation of their religious belief. The Court held that if they chose to run a business, they had to run it in accordance with the law, which includes an obligation not to discriminate against potential customers on grounds of their sexual orientation.
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