THE President, Mrs Robinson, is to refer the Equal Status Bill to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality.
Following consultations with the Council of State on Tuesday, the President decided yesterday that the Supreme Court should consider the constitutional soundness of the legislation in its entirety.
The decision comes just three weeks before the Supreme Court rules on a similar piece of anti discrimination legislation, the Employment Equality Bill.
The Equal Status Bill mirrors the measures of the Employment Equality Bill in areas outside employment. It prohibits discrimination on nine grounds including race, colour, religion, marital status, sexual orientation and membership of the travelling community.