The government is coming under increasing pressure to withdraw the controversial Northern Ireland Sexual Orientation Regulations after half of the transitional Northern Ireland Assembly voted in favour of withdrawal.

The Northern Ireland Assembly was split yesterday with 39 against and 39 in favour of a motion requesting that Northern Ireland Secretary, Peter Hain, withdraw the regulations.

The government has received widespread criticism for using its direct rule powers in Northern Ireland to fast-track laws making it illegal to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) were concerned that while the rights of homosexuals should be protected, faith groups should also be safeguarded.

They criticised the government for trying to push through the regulations without proper consultation and questioned whether the regulations were ill-thought through and dangerously broad, the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship (LCF) said.

The MLAs also said that the regulations risked the unintended consequence of being "a charter for persecution of any of those with a moral conscience".

Thomas Cordrey, Public Policy Analyst at the LCF, commented, "With such a clear and public expression of concern about these regulations from the Northern Ireland Assembly, it is hard to see that the government's refusal to listen to reasoned arguments on this matter fits with their plea in the St Andrew's agreement that whilst devolution is re-established, politicians act 'in good faith and in a spirit of genuine partnership'."

A recent independent opinion poll commissioned by the LCF has also shown that the government's efforts to push through the new Sexual Orientation Regulations are out of step with public opinion.

More than seven out of 10 in a poll of 1000 adults across Britain agreed with the statement, 'Any law requiring people to promote homosexual practice should be applied selectively so as to ensure that people with strong religious beliefs are not forced to act against their conscience.'