Scientologist loses high court wedding battle

Scientologist Louisa Hodkin and her fiance, Alessandro Calcioli. Photograph: Withers/PA

A member of the Church of Scientology has lost her fight to get married in one of its chapels after the high court dismissed her claim that she was the victim of unlawful religious discrimination.

Louisa Hodkin, who wants to marry a fellow Scientologist in the church's chapel at its central London premises, had challenged a refusal by the registrar general of births, deaths and marriages in England and Wales to register the chapel for the solemnisation of marriages on the grounds that it is not "a place of meeting for religious worship".

Although Hodkin's lawyers had argued she was being discriminated against because of her religion, Mr Justice Ouseley backed the registrar's decision and dismissed the challenge following a hearing in on WednesdayLondon yesterday.

A casework manager for the registrar general said such a wedding could not be recognised because of the 1970 court of appeal case of "Segerdal", in which judges ruled that another Scientology chapel was not a meeting place for religious worship because its services involved "instructions in the tenets of a philosophy concerned with man" and were not concerned with religious worship.

At a previous hearing, Ouseley had been told that the chapel had to be certified as a meeting place for religious worship to enable legally recognised religious marriages to take place.

Hodkin and her fiance, Alessandro Calcioli, both church volunteers, had challenged the legality of the registrar general's refusal to certify the London chapel for weddings in July last year.

Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC, appearing for Hodkin and the Church of Scientology Religious Education College, said Hodkin's brother, David, was married in a religious ceremony at a Church of Scientology in Edinburgh in 2007.

He said Hodkin and her fiance also wanted to celebrate their marriage through a legally recognised Scientology wedding in London, surrounded by their families and fellow church volunteers.

But while Ouseley said he felt bound by the court of appeal ruling, he added that the issue should be analysed by the supreme court.

The case is of general importance as Scientologists have previously unsuccessfully applied for certification at other premises in England that they have claimed are for religious worship.

Speaking after the judgment, Hodkin said: "I am delighted that the court has granted me the opportunity to ask the supreme court to hear my case. I hope that the court allows me to marry in my own church, surrounded by my family and friends, which means everything to me."

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/19/scientologist-loses-court-wedding-battle

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