http://www.christianconcernforournat...iefingPack.pdf
The Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship
BRIEFING:
11th January 2007
The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation)
Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006
Key information
• The full text of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (the “Northern Ireland SORs”)
can be found at:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/sr/sr2006/20060439.htm. The Northern Ireland SORs
are Statutory Rule 2006 No. 439 and were made on the 8th November 2006 and laid before
Parliament on the 24th November 2006.
• There are parallel SORs being drafted for England, Wales and Scotland. They have been delayed
for 6 months and once finalised, will come into force in April 2007.
• The Northern Ireland SORs are intended by the Government to ‘outlaw sexual orientation
discrimination by goods and services providers in both the public and private sector’ (from pg 7
of the Government consultation paper into the Northern Ireland SORs).
• Although many organisations (including our own) have questioned the need for the SORs because
of a lack of empirical evidence showing that such discrimination currently takes place, Christian
organisations support the principle of outlawing unjustified discrimination on the grounds of
sexual orientation.
• The opposition to and support for the Northern Ireland SORs is therefore not a case of ‘Christians
v homosexuals’ as some have sought to portray it.
• The opposition to the Northern Ireland SORs from Christians is based on extremely important
issues of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience. It is a question of balancing rights.
The Northern Ireland SORs came into force on the 1st January. Because they have proceeded
by way of the negative resolution procedure, there are 40 days from the date the Regulations
were laid (24th November) in which either House can annul them.
• The 40 day period for annulling the Northern Ireland SORs expires on the 21st January.
• Amendments to the Regulations can only be made by one of the Houses voting to annul them
(this would allow amended Regulations to be re-introduced by the Government).