New lawsuit claims that Northern Ireland violates ‘religious freedom’ in not recognising marriage equality.

A same-sex couple who married in England in 2014 have launched a lawsuit over Northern Ireland’s ban on same sex marriage, citing that because they are treated a civil partners under Northern Irish law, the law denies them the right to manifest their religious beliefs.

The Democratic Unionist Party have halted the progression of marriage legislation in the Stormont Assembly, most notably by filing several petitions of concern.

The couple’s solicitor, Ciaran Moynagh, told the Belfast Telegraph: “They are saying the downgrading of their marriage isn’t lawful, and one of the aspects is that they are arguing that their religious liberty is being infringed. Northern Irish law does not recognise their marriage as a marriage,and that therefore denies them their right to manifest their believes. My clients are not activists, not in any way, they are not trying to directly change legislation. Their aim is simply to have their marriage recognised as what it is.”

The unnamed couple’s lawsuit isn’t the first legal challenge in the country, but it is one of the first to address a violation of religious freedom.

In June of this year two couples – Grainne Close and Shannon Sickles and Christopher and Henry Flanagan-Kane – went to court in a bid to challenge Northern Ireland’s ban on same-sex marriage.