British Tribunal Rules Anti-Hunting Beliefs Protected Under Employment Discrimination Regulations

Britain's  Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 (Sec. 2) include "philosophical belief" in the definition of religion or belief. Yesterday's London Telegraph reports that an employment tribunal judge has ruled that the anti-hunting view of activist Joe Hashman are protected under the law's employment discrimination prohibitions.  Hashman secretly filmed celebrity chef Clarissa Dickson Wright attending an illegal rabbit hunting event. He was fired by the owners of the garden center at which he worked. The owners are hunting fans.  Hashman sued and an employment tribunal judge ruled that Hashman's deeply held beliefs about the environment, animal rights, veganism and opposition to hunting are protected as under the religion or belief regulations. Hashman's employers claim he was fired for other reasons. (See prior related posting.)