The Christian owners of a guesthouse who were fined £3,600 for restricting double rooms to married couples are set to appeal the decision, the Christian Institute reports.
The Christian Institute has agreed to fund the appeal.
In ruling against the Christians last week, His Hon. Judge Rutherford — departing from his normal practice — granted permission for appeal.
He said his ruling “does affect the human rights of the defendants to manifest their religion and forces them to act in a manner contrary to their deeply and genuinely held beliefs.”
Peter and Hazelmary Bull were taken to court by Steven Preddy and his homosexual civil partner Martyn Hall.
Since the court ruling, the guesthouse has been targeted by numerous homosexual couples attempting to book double rooms in an apparent attempt to destroy the business.
Mrs Bull, 66, has also received abusive and menacing phone calls, but she cannot ignore the phone because her 71-year-old husband is in hospital, recovering from major heart surgery.
Even the hospital has had to deal with nuisance phone calls, leading staff to operate a password system for friends and family to enquire after Mr Bull’s health.
The BBC’s Moral Maze programme will tonight (26 Jan 2011) debate the implications of a court ruling against the Christian owners of a guesthouse that restricts double rooms to married couples. Is the Human Rights Act is turning into a political ideology to persecute Christians? Chaired by Michael Buerk, debated by Michael Portillo, Claire Fox, Matthew Taylor and Clifford Longley.