A judge in the U.K. has ruled that “ethical veganism” is a philosophical belief that deserves the same legal protections as religious groups. (Wow!)
Ethical vegans not only follow a vegan diet, but also oppose the use of animals for any purpose, such as animal testing. CNN reports:
At an employment tribunal on Friday, judge Robin Postle said he was “satisfied overwhelmingly” that ethical veganism meets the criteria of the Equality Act to qualify as a philosophical belief.
In a short summary judgment, Postle declared that veganism “clearly in my view meets all the criteria; It is a philosophical belief, not just an opinion.”
“It is cogent, serious and important, and worthy of respect in democratic society,” he added.
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Postle reached his conclusion after self-described ethical vegan Jordi Casamitjana’s claim that he was fired by The League Against Cruel Sports, an animal welfare charity, after he told fellow employees that the group’s pension plan invests in companies that experiment on animals. A practice that goes against his ethically vegan beliefs.
In response, Casamitjana filed a lawsuit to get ethical veganism included on the list of “religions and beliefs” protected against discrimination under Britain’s Equality Act.
However, The League Again Cruelty Sports claims the group never stated that Casamitjana’s veganism was not a sincerely held belief. Instead, they claim that he was fired “due to his misconduct and not the belief he holds.”
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In his ruling, Postle determined that Casamitjana met the criteria for proving his beliefs were sincere “beliefs, not opinions.” Casamitjana said following the ruling.
“I’m extremely happy with the outcome of this hearing and for the words of the judge who clearly understood what ethical veganism is. I didn’t expect to have a judgement today but the overwhelming weight of the evidence we have provided seems to have been sufficient for the judge to conclude that I’m the ethical vegan I say I am, and that ethical veganism is a protected ‘non-religious philosophical belief.”
“I am not alone. Many people have supported me because they, or their friends, have experienced discrimination for being ethical vegans. Hopefully, from my dismissal, something positive will come by ensuring other ethical vegans are better protected in the future.”
