Bakery owners Amy and Daniel McArthur, who own 'Ashers' in Belfast, outside the Supreme Court after winning their appeal against a gay rights campaigner who took the business to court after they refused to make a cake, promoting same-sex marriage.

The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom has ruled that Christian owners of a bakery were entitled to refuse to bake a cake that supported same-sex marriage.

Ashers Baking Company, based in Northern Ireland, was taken to court after it declined to take an order at its Belfast branch in 2014 from Gareth Lee, a gay rights activist.

He had wanted the cake to include a slogan that said "support gay marriage" along with a picture of Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street. The bakery initially took the order but later canceled it and refunded Lee.

After the refusal, the Northern Irish Equality Commission took up legal action, warning that the gay man had been discriminated against on grounds of his sexuality. The bakery countered that it was expressing religious freedom.