On Thursday, Northern Ireland's Attorney General was given the green light to become involved in a Christian-run bakery's appeal against being found to have discriminated against a gay customer. Senior judges in Belfast issued notices of devolution following legal arguments from John Larkin QC about the lawfulness of legislation at the centre of the case. They decided he had raised an arguable case that sexual orientations regulations in Northern Ireland directly discriminate against those who hold religious beliefs or political opinions. The move gives Mr. Larkin authorisation to make representations when Ashers' Baking Company seeks to overturn the verdict against them at a full hearing in May. The bakery, run by the McArthur family, is appealing the outcome of legal action over its refusal to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan. See also:

The Scottish Government’s ‘named person’ scheme has faced fresh criticism from the ‘Scotland on Sunday’ newspaper which wrote that there is growing concern over the scheme ahead of its statutory introduction in August. The paper was responding to recent analysis of the scheme’s complaints procedure by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, Jim Martin. The proposals aim to give everyone under 18 a named person, usually a teacher or health visitor, to oversee them from August next year. He or she would be a contact point if welfare issues needed to be raised with police or social services. In a letter to MSPs, Mr Martin expressed fears that the complaints procedure being introduced by Holyrood is too rigid and so could become outdated. Many are saying that most children already have guardians, and children at risk are identified through social workers.

Kabylie church, affiliated to the Protestant Church of Algeria, received a letter from the district authorities last week requiring them to cease all religious activities on the grounds of breaching a 2006 decree regulating non-Muslim worship. The authorities threatened to commence legal proceedings against the pastor if Christian worship continues in the church building. The letter provides no further detail about the alleged infringement nor any time-frame within which steps should be taken to ensure compliance with the law. This situation reflects a long-standing legal difficulty faced by churches in Algeria. The 2006 decree stipulates that permission must be obtained before using a building for non-Muslim worship and that such worship can only be conducted in buildings specifically designated for that purpose. In practice, the authorities have failed to respond to almost all applications by churches for places of worship.

President Al-Sisi is making Egyptians live through a nightmare. Their currency is deteriorating, investments are declining, there are no employment opportunities, and security is poor. Al-Sisi is either marginalising or criminalising his opponents. In return these opponents are doing their utmost to destroy the country that does not recognise them as citizens. The cement blocks surrounding many government buildings as protection from terrorists reflect the present narrow ruling mentality. These blocks are not only physical barriers; they also form a mental barrier which only allows decision-makers to see security from one angle. Meanwhile terrorists are finding many vulnerable targets to attack and regrettably quite successfully. Al-Sisi’s authoritarian style requires a stricter compliance with religious affairs legislation. This is not to the advantage of the large Coptic minority, who have been tolerated but now are being targeted. In the midst of this change there is a small but growing community of Christian converts. See also: