A High Court judge has overturned a decision by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that an advertisement by a Belfast church was homophobic.

Sandown Free Presbyterian Church launched judicial review proceedings against the ASA after being found to be in breach of its code of practice.

The judge ruled the ASA’s decision interfered with the church’s rights to freedom of expression.

The ASA said it was disappointed and was considering the judgment.

However Free Presbyterian minister the Reverend David McIlveen described it as “a landmark ruling”.

The case centred on a full-page advert taken out in the News Letter ahead of a Gay Pride parade in Belfast in August 2008.

It was headlined “The word of God against sodomy” and invited people to meet for a peaceful gospel witness against the act.

After receiving seven complaints that the notice was homophobic, the ASA ruled it could not appear again in the same form.

It also told the church to take more care in future to avoid causing serious offence.

Sandown Free Presbyterian Church’s legal team argued its rights to religious belief and freedom of expression under European law had been breached.

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