Scientologist wins Supreme Court battle to marry in 'church' chapel Scientologist Louisa Hodkin wants to marry Alessandro Calcioli Registrar general refused to register London Church Chapel for marriage Judges rule Church holds religious services and is place of worship Couple 'ecstatic' and hope to marry in next few months Bride says: 'I'm really glad we are being treated equally' Minister fears ruling means taxpayer must fund rate relief for Scientology Happy couple: Louisa Hodkin and fiance Alessandro Calcioli say they are 'ecstatic' after Supreme Court judges ruled they can get married in a Church of Scientology chapel A couple say they are 'ecstatic' after judges in the UK's highest court ruled they can get married in a Church of Scientology chapel. Bride-to-be Louisa Hodkin had appealed to the Supreme Court after a High Court judge ruled that services run by Scientologists were not 'acts of worship'. The Supreme Court judges overturned the ban, meaning overjoyed Miss Hodkin and her fiance Alessandro Calcioli can start planning their dream wedding at the chapel in central London. Miss Hodkin, 25, said: 'I am really excited. I'm really glad we are finally being treated equally and can now get married in our church.' She said they hoped to get married in the next few months but have yet to set a date. Five Supreme Court justices analysed the case at a hearing in London in July and ruled in Miss Hodkin's favour today, announcing that the Scientology church was a 'place of meeting for religious worship'. She took legal action after the registrar general of births, deaths and marriages refused to register the London Church Chapel for the solemnisation of marriages under the 1855 Places of Worship Registration Act - because it was not a place for 'religious worship'. Supreme Court justices said religion should not be confined to faiths involving a 'supreme deity'. They said the Church of Scientology held religious services, therefore its church was a 'place of meeting for religious worship'. Mr Calcioli said: 'I think the court's definition of religion is excellent. I think it's what most people today would understand 'religion' to be. I'm ecstatic.' Lords Neuberger, Clarke , Wilson , Reed and Toulson unanimously allowed Miss Hodkin's appeal against the High Court ruling. In 1970 the Church of Scientology launched a similar case when the Court of Appeal ruled that Scientology did not involve religious worship because there was no 'veneration of God or of a Supreme Being'. Miss Hodkins and Mr Calcioli, both volunteers at the church near the Embankment in central London, had appealed the decision to block the wedding in July 2011 as they saw it as unlawful religious discrimination. Refusal: The registrar general of births, deaths and marriages had refused to register the London Church Chapel for the solemnisation of marriages under the 1855 Places of Worship Registration Act - because it was not a place for 'religious worship' Congregation: The chapel where Miss Hodkin and Mr Calcioli will make their vows in front of friends and family She was backed by the Church of Scientology which has previously been unsuccessful in getting certification for other premises in England they say are for 'religious worship.' At the hearing Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC, appearing for Miss Hodkin and the Church of Scientology Religious Education College, said she and her fiance wanted to celebrate their marriage through a legally recognised Scientology wedding in London, surrounded by their families and fellow church volunteers. Lord Lester said there had been a failure to have proper regard to evidence that the form of worship observed by Scientologists had continued to evolve and now was materially different from what it had been previously. But last year the judge said he was bound by previous legal rulings and even the Human Rights Act did not provide a basis to rule differently. Challenge: Miss Hodkin and Mr Calcioli, both volunteers at the church near the Embankment in central London, had appealed the decision to block the wedding in July 2011 as they saw it as unlawful religious discrimination Miss Hodkin lost her High Court fight in December 2012 when Mr Justice Ouseley said he was bound by the 1970 Court of Appeal decision and therefore had to dismiss her challenge. But he said Supreme Court judges should consider the question of whether Scientologists worshipped. He said that because the Supreme Court was a more senior court than the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court judges might take a different view. Bride-to-be: Scientologist Louisa Hodkin said she was 'really excited' to be getting married after the Supreme Court ruled in her favour Miss Hodkin argued that the 1970 ruling should not be binding because Scientologist beliefs and services had evolved during the past four decades. She said services were 'ones of religious worship' and likened Scientology to Buddhism and Jainism. Miss Hodkin said: 'My fiance and I have always believed in the fairness of the British legal process. 'It's been a long and demanding journey, but the Supreme Court's decision today has made it all worthwhile. We are really excited that we can now get married, and thank our family and friends for all of their patience and support. Her solicitor Paul Hewitt, a partner at law firm Withers, said: 'The Supreme Court's judgment is a victory for the equal treatment of religions in the modern world. We are delighted at the outcome - it always felt wrong that Louisa was denied the simple right, afforded to members of other religions, to enjoy a legal marriage ceremony in her own Church. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles had welcomed Mr Justice Ouseley's ruling. Mr Pickles said the Church of Scientology might have been entitled to 'tax breaks' - because of rules governing places of public worship - had a decision gone in its favour. He said taxpayers would not want 'such a controversial organisation' to get 'special' treatment. Local government minister Brandon Lewis said his department would be taking legal advice following the ruling. He said: 'I am very concerned about this ruling, and its implications for business rates. In the face of concerns raised by Conservatives in Opposition, Labour ministers told Parliament during the passage of the Equalities Bill that Scientology would continue to fall outside the religious exemption for business rates. But we now discover Scientology may be eligible for rate relief and that the taxpayer will have to pick up the bill, all thanks to Harriet Harman and Labour's flawed laws. Hard-pressed taxpayers will wonder why Scientology premises should now be given tax cuts when local firms have to pay their fair share. 'We will review the Court's verdict and discuss this with our legal advisers before deciding the next steps. However, it will remain the case that premises which are not genuinely open to the public will not qualify for tax relief. Venue: The London Church Chapel, where Miss Hodkin and Mr Calcioli now plan to marry Since 2005 a new law enabled couples in Britain to marry in premises approved by local authorities, such as hotels and stately homes - rather than just a church or registry office. Civil marriage venues have since been expanded to include pubs, football grounds, wine distilleries, and other places far removed from a traditional church setting. The case was of particular importance to the Church of Scientology and its followers as several similar cases have been turned down in court in the past. Miss Hodkin argued that the 1970 ruling should not be binding on any court because Scientologist beliefs and services had evolved during the past 42 years. Celebrity: Famous Scientologists include actors Tom Cruise, left, and John Travolta, right Scientology is a controversial religious belief system that teaches that people are immortal beings who have forgotten their true nature. Famous Scientologists include actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta. Founder: Science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard founded the Church of Scientology The Church of Scientology was founded in 1953 by American science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard wrote that 75 million years ago, an alien ruler called Xenu brought billions of his people to Earth in a spaceship before killing them in a bomb blast, leaving their spirits to wander around and harm the living. According to Hubbard, following Scientology means you can be clear of these malevolent spirits. Scientology describes itself as the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, others, and all of life. One purpose of Scientology, as stated by the Church, is to become certain of one's spiritual existence and one's relationship to God, or the 'Supreme Being.' Scientologists believe that in addition to the five senses of hearing, sight, touch, taste and smell we have 57 additional abilities known as 'perceptics'. These include an ability to sense blood circulation, balance, compass direction, temperature, gravity as well as an 'awareness of importance, unimportance.' In order to ascend up the Scientology ladder, followers must complete a number of courses and be 'Clear' in Dianetics. This is a state, according to Hubbard, when a human 'no longer has his own reactive mind and therefore suffers none of the ill-effects that the reactive mind can cause.' The Church believes that humans suffer unwanted and negative feelings, which lead to illnesses. If every person applies Dianetics in their life, they can be 'Clear', or free, of these feelings and therefore avoid sickness. The next stage is to achieve Operating Thetan levels, or OTs for short. There are eight levels before the truth of Scientology can be fully revealed. It is believed that actor Tom Cruise took five years to reach this level.