Sarah Holmes loses discrimination case against women’s council

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Sarah Holmes lost a discrimination complaint against the National Women’s Council of Ireland at the Workplace Relations Commission, reported on 13 November 2023. The complaint followed her refusal of entry to an event on 9 June 2022, after emails opposing the organisation’s trans-inclusive policy and a press release announcing plans to “stage an action”. Holmes alleged the refusal breached her legally protected religious beliefs. She accepted that her emails “could be considered hurtful” but denied intending that. After hearings in March and September 2023, adjudicator Elizabeth Spelman found no discrimination. The WRC ruled the council could refuse entry because of a “substantial risk of criminal and disorderly conduct”.