Freedom of expression: what’s acceptable?

• When considering the lawfulness of the expression of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, it is necessary to determine whether any interference with those rights was in respect of the manifestation of the claimant’s protected belief, or rather was due to a justified objection to the manner of that manifestation.

Those having higher mileage on their personal odometers will have lived through profound social changes. For example, people in same-sex relationships (or suspected of having same-sex orientation) were, until relatively recently, subject to considerable social stigma—and sometimes violent abuse. For same-sex relationships were legalised only with the passing of the Sexual Offences Act on 26 July 1967, and then only between two consenting adults over the age of 21 and in private. Wide social acceptance of such stigmas was supported, particularly among practising Christians, by Bible teaching