Tim Nicholson has won his case against his employer, and the result is that environmentalist beliefs may now be given the same status as a religion. It’s been predicted that the results will be dramatic:

Legal expert Mr Mooney, who is head of consultancy at Employment Law
Advisory Services, said: “The ramifications of Tim Nicholson winning
this test case are massive. In essence victory will put employees who
hold strong environmental beliefs in the same category – and with the
same protection – as workers who hold strong religious beliefs.

“Consequently he could be in line for unlimited damages. This would
open the floodgates for others who believe their employers have
victimised them simply because of their views on the environment and
how business deals with pressing environmental issues such as climate
change and reducing our carbon emissions.

“The government would then be forced to re-look at employment
legislation and close the legal loopholes to prevent such a potentially
disastrous situation happening.

“This will be an extremely interesting case to follow.”

I’m glad for Mr Nicholson, and I’m certainly happy to know that ethical and ideological positions still can sway a court. But my impression is that cases where the religion at issue is the long-established English Christianity – with all its nervy connections with old-fashionedness and imperialism, and under constant attack from the New Atheists – religion is actually not so well treated. A nurse came very close to losing her job merely for offering to pray for a patient; those who have wanted to wear small crosses to signify their beliefs have been treated with considerable disdain – at least by the press. So I’m not sure it’s exactly true to say that TN’s green beliefs have been given the same status as a religion. It sounds as if it’s been given rathyer more credibility. Maybe next time a CHristian is up in court for mentioning their beliefs, they should request the same status as that of someone with Green beliefs.