Under The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003.There has always been a great deal of debate about what should amount to a philosophical belief for the purposes of The Employment Equality (Religion and belief) Regulations 2003. Many have been aghast to find that avid support for their football team doesn’t count.
Over the years the Tribunals and courts have held that for a belief to be a protected philosophical belief and obtain protection under the regulations, the belief must be:
• genuinely held
• a belief and not an opinion or viewpoint based on the information currently available
• a belief as to a weighty and substantial aspect of human life and behaviour
• able to attain a certain level of cogency, seriousness, cohesion and importance
• worthy of respect ion a democratic society, not incompatible with human dignity and not in conflict with the fundamental rights if others.
In the case of Hashman v Milton Park (Dorset) Ltd t/a Orchard Park, where Mr Hashman was represented by a Mr Hare, (sorry the closest thing to an Easter bunny we could find) which was heard in January, the Tribunal held that Mr Hashman’s fervent opposition to fox hunting and hare coursing formed part of his belief in the sanctity of life, including the lives of animals and so amounted to a protected philosophical belief under the Regulations.
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