British Christians Denied Appeals To European Court's Grand Chamber

The Guardian reports that the European Court of Human Rights on Monday refused a request to permit an appeal of ECHR Chamber judgments to the Grand Chamber by three British Christians who in January lost their challenge to their employers' refusal to accommodate their religious beliefs. (See prior posting.) The 3 parties who were denied appeals were Shirley Chaplain, a geriatric ward nurse, who was not permitted to wear a necklace displaying a cross; Lillian Ladele, a local registrar who refused on religious grounds to conduct civil partnership ceremonies; and Gary McFarlane, a counselor who expressed Christian religious concern about providing psycho-sexual therapy to same-sex couples.