‘Gay cake’ case: Ashers prepared to wait for Attorney General’s legal submissions following last minute courtroom intervention

The family at the centre of the ‘gay cake’ case have pledged to remain patient after their court appeal today (WED FEB 3) was delayed until May following legal arguments.

Daniel McArthur, General Manager of Ashers Baking Company, standing with his wife Amy, said:

“We were fully prepared for the hearing to go ahead and arrived this morning in full expectation it would do so.

“However, developments have taken place which are clearly outside our control due to the decision by the Attorney General to intervene.

“Clearly, our case raises matters of crucial importance if he has taken a decision to become involved.

“We have every confidence in our legal team and the arguments which were to be put forward and we had also clearly placed our trust, as always, in God.

“While the delay means it will be exactly two years to the day that the order was placed which led to the case, we are patient people and will now await the next stage in the process and remain confident that our case is right and just.

“We have said in the past that the case has been a source of some stress but it has also offered us great strength in each other and in God.

The family have the backing of The Christian Institute which is funding their legal defence costs.

CI spokesman Simon Calvert said:

“The court has adjourned because of the important issues which are at stake.

“The Attorney General has raised new issues which we were neutral about and the court wants to hear them.

“This development clearly underlines what we have said all along – that this is a really important case.

“We were ready to go ahead but this is the legal process in action and we respect that process.

“The Attorney General has his own views and wants to put his arguments before the court and they are important points.

“All the parties wanted to get on with the case but if the Attorney General has issues he wants to raise all parties want that to happen and to have their chance to respond.

“But we remain confident in our case.

“We know we have a great case. We know we have right on our side.

“We are confident the court could rule in our favour and ought to rule in our favour but we will not know until after May 9.”