CANON Jeremy Pemberton, who entered a same-sex marriage and subsequently lost his permission to officiate (PTO) (News, 11 July 2014), has won the right to appeal against the decision.

Canon Pemberton took the Acting Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham, the Rt Revd Richard Inwood, to an employment tribunal under the Equality Act, in 2014. He argued that Bishop Inwood, by removing his PTO, and further refusing to grant him the necessary licence to take up a new post as an NHS chaplain in the diocese, had discriminated against him.

The tribunal dismissed his claims. It ruled last year that the current doctrine of the C of E was clear: marriage should be between a man and a woman. Therefore Bishop Inwood was protected from the discrimination claim, because adhering to the Church’s doctrine was a requirement of taking up the chaplaincy post in the NHS.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal said on Monday, however, that it has accepted an application from Canon Pemberton, and is to hold a full hearing later in the year. Papers will be served to the respondents, who will have 14 days to put in an answer.