Religion and Human Rights
26 Jan 2016, 1pm | Seminar Room F, Law Faculty, Oxford University

John Bowers QC will discuss European human rights law and freedom of religion. The scope of what is a religion will be addressed. He will examine the effect of freedom of religion as a qualified right. He will consider decided cases on these issues:  wearing religious insignia, rights to circumcise, banning of ritual slaughter, Sabbath observance, religious education and the cases where religious and sexual orientations clash. He will conclude with some general observations on the approach of the courts to adjudicating issues of religious freedom.

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Speakers

John Bowers QC
Principal of Brasenose College.

He also sits as a Deputy High Court Judge and a Recorder on the South Eastern Circuit. He is an approved counsel for the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

He has been in turn a Member of the Committee of the Industrial Law Society, the Employment Law Association and Honorary Legal Advisor at Turnpike Lane Advice Centre. He chaired the Employment Law Bar Association. He currently carries out work for the Bar Pro Bono Unit.

He is a former chair of Bar Disciplinary Summary Tribunals (until they were abolished) and member of the Bar Council’s Race Relations Committee.

Since 2005 he has been a Bencher of Middle Temple (and a member both of its Estates and Students Affairs Committees).