Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 584 U.S. (2018), the U.S. Supreme Court’s blockbuster case, has been decided. The questions in dispute: 1. Can a person, exercising religious...
Suffering in Silence: The Persecution of the Ahmadiyas in Pakistan
An appalling humanitarian crisis is gripping Pakistan where violent extremism has shrouded religious tolerance and the government itself is being guided by extremist ideologies. Victims of this aggressive form of...
HM Chief Inspector v Interim Executive of Al-Hijrah School: Religious Conviction is Not a Solvent of Legal Obligation
The most interesting feature of the case of HM Chief Inspector v Interim Executive of Al Hijrah School [2018] IRLR 334 is the split between the reasoning of the majority...
Are Christian bakers part of the wedding cakes they make; and what follows if they are?
Is making a cake for a gay wedding the same as making a cake with an anti-gay message? This equivalence was drawn by conservative judge, Justice Gorsuch, in the US...
Masterpiece Cakeshop and Discriminatory Intent
On July 19, 2012, Charlie Craig and David Mullins visited Masterpiece Cakeshop in suburban Colorado, asking the owner, Jack Phillips, to design and create a cake for their upcoming wedding....
Unveiling Judicial Neutrality: Do Headscarves belong in German Courtrooms?
In Germany headscarf bans in a variety of public institutions have sparked large disagreement in society and posed a challenge for courts and legislatures for some time. The most recent...
The Irish Abortion Referendum: An Opportunity for Change
Today, the Irish people will be asked to vote in a referendum on whether or not to repeal the 8th Amendment of the Irish Constitution which prohibits access to abortion...
Failing to Prioritise Religious Burials in London: Equal Treatment or Equality?
In R (ota Adath Yisroel Burial Society) v HM Senior Coroner for Inner North London [2018] EWHC 969, the High Court had to consider an application from an orthodox Jewish...
Cakes and the Conscience Wars
Last week, the U.K. Supreme Court heard argument in Lee v. Ashers Baking Company. The case involves a baker whose Christian beliefs led him to refuse to bake a cake...
Supreme Court of India Prepares to Hear Babri Masjid/Ram Temple Dispute
When the same physical space is seen as sacred to different communities, they can become a point of intercommunal tension, and even violence. The Babri Masjid/Ram Temple dispute in Ayodhya...
Tackling FGM In India: Is It Time For A New Law?
According to a study conducted on members of the Bohra community in India, a startling 75% of the daughters of the 94 participants were subjected to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)...
The Legality of Unilateral Child Conversion in Malaysia
For Indira Gandhi, whose husband converted to Islam and attempted to unilaterally convert their daughter as well, a long legal battle came to an end when the Malaysian Federal Court...