Full recognition of Scientology as an official religion in Britain came a step closer today after a dramatic Supreme Court ruling.
The UK’s highest court reversed previous decisions by backing a bid by Louisa Hodkin to marry fiancé Alessandro Calcioli in a Scientology chapel. Ruling unanimously in her favour, they said the venue was a “place of meeting for religious worship”, as religion should not be confined to faiths involving a “supreme deity”.
A similar case in 1970 had been rejected by the Court of Appeal on the grounds Scientology did not involve worship in the form of “veneration of God or of a Supreme Being”.
Scientology was founded in 1952 by science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard. A central belief is that aliens were banished to live on earth 75 million years ago by a warlord called Xenu.
These souls attached themselves to humans and are said to be the source of many of our problems. Scientology is known for raising large sums of money from its followers, who include actors John Travolta and Tom Cruise.
Miss Hodkin took legal action after the Registrar General refused to register their marriage under the 1855 Places of Worship Registration Act. That decision was backed by the High Court.
At the Supreme Court, Miss Hodkin, 25, of Sussex argued the 1970 ruling should not be binding because Scientology beliefs and services had evolved during the past four decades. She likened Scientology to Buddhism and Jainism.
Ministers raised concerns that Scientology may end up being entitled to tax breaks for places of worship. Local government minister Brandon Lewis said his department was taking legal advice: “I am very concerned about this [Supreme Court ruling], and its implications for business rates.
“We now discover Scientology may be eligible for rate relief and the taxpayer will have to pick up the bill. Hard-pressed taxpayers will wonder why Scientology premises should now be given tax cuts when local firms have to pay their fair share. However, it will remain the case that premises which are not genuinely open to the public will not qualify for tax relief.”
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Miss Hodkin said: “I am really excited, glad we are finally being treated equally.” She said they hoped to marry in the next few months. Mr Calcioli added: “I think the court’s definition of religion is excellent. I’m ecstatic.”
Scientology has tax exempt status in the US. It is a religion for legal purposes in Italy, Sweden and Spain but not Canada, France, Germany, or Greece.
