A BELIEF in the sanctity of animal life can be regarded as a philosophical belief, and as such is protected by law, a judge has ruled this week.

Judge Lawrence Guyer's finding follows a hearing in Southampton into Joe Hashman's claim against Orchard Park in Gillingham for wrongful dismissal.

He claims that owners Ron and Sheila Clark terminated his two-hours a week employment tending an organic vegetable plot because of his animal rights beliefs, exacerbated by the fact that he had filmed celebrity chef Clarissa Dickson-Wright at an illegal hare coursing event, a film which led to her appearance in court and conviction.

"The claimant has a belief in the sanctity of life," Judge Guyer wrote in his findings.

"This belief extends to his fervent anti foxhunting belief (and also anti hare coursing belief) and such beliefs constitute a philosophical belief for the purposes of the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003."

This finding, which locally will lead to a full hearing of Mr Hashman's claim that his employment was terminated because of his beliefs, could open the door for other claims under the act.

His lawyers, Bindmans, relied on another of their cases, that of "green martyr" Tim Nicholson, whose 2009 case against his former employers, Grainger plc, (Britain's biggest residential property investment company) found that Mr Nicholson's belief in climate change was protected by the act.

Mr Hashman writes for this magazine as Dirty Nails.

No date has yet been fixed for the hearing.