Conversion, Surveillance, and the Erosion of Fundamental Rights in Maharashtra
On 17 March 2026, the State Assembly of Maharashtra, India, passed the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill (FRB). The stated objective of the bill is to regulate religious conversions and...
Neutrality, Pluralism, and the Limits of Secular Uniformity: A Rejoinder to Leon Langdon
Leon Langdon’s response to my article on Union of Atheists v. Greece (2025) offers a thoughtful engagement with the question of religious symbols in courtrooms. While his arguments merit careful...
An Alternative View on Union of Atheists v. Greece
In her recent piece, Dr. Adina Portaru argues that Union of Atheists v Greece offers the European Court of Human Rights an opportunity to clarify its stance on “neutrality.” This...
The Taliban’s New “Criminal Procedure Code for Courts”: Fundamental Rights Violations Are Now Legal in Afghanistan
On 4 January 2026, the Taliban adopted the “Criminal Procedure Code for Courts” (De Mahakumu Jazaai Osulnama). Until then, Taliban leader Hibabullah Akhundzad simply posted new rules on X, which...
Neutrality is not Amnesia: Religious Symbols and the European Convention on Human Rights
The question of whether religious symbols may be displayed in courtrooms has come before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case of Union of Atheists v. Greece....
Malaysian Federal Court Held that a Fatwa Cannot Declare a Company ‘Deviant’ from Islamic Teachings
On 19 June 2025, the Federal Court of Malaysia overturned a Court of Appeal decision which upheld a fatwa (religious edict) declaring SIS Forum (Malaysia), individuals and organisations subscribing to...
Probing the Normative Limits of Criminalizing ‘Choice’ under the Indian Anti-Conversion Laws
A familiar yet urgent question stands before the Indian Supreme Court. Rajasthan is the most recent addition to the list of Indian states that have enacted anti-conversion laws, targeting “unlawful...
The Curious Case of Bhagwati Pathwar: What has love got to do with it? (Part 5 of 6)
In the Indian context, eloping and marrying outside of one’s faith or caste is a common occurrence but made socially and legally difficult, and as a result couples often approach...
