The Religious Views of Judges and Human Rights Adjudication: A Reply to Bamforth and Barber
Two blog contributions have recently discussed the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the US Supreme Court and what should be made of his conservative and theologically-derived views supported by...
Understanding Direct Discrimination Suffered ‘As a Female Muslim’ in Achbita
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered its long-awaited decision in Samira Achbita v G4S Secure Solutions NV on 14 March 2017. The referring Court had asked...
Judge Neil Gorsuch: A Reply to Nicholas Bamforth
At the start of March, Nick Bamforth wrote a blog post for this site examining Judge Neil Gorsuch’s ‘Academic Pedigree’. With the hearings on Gorsuch underway, I thought it might...
Direct Discrimination and Indirect Discrimination: Headscarves and the CJEU
The decision of the CJEU in Achbita has been much anticipated as the first full judgment of the Court on discrimination based on religion and belief under Directive 2000/78. Although...
Inequality and Discrimination faced by Religious Minorities in Pakistan
Pakistan is one of the worst countries to live in as a member of a religious minority group, due to the lack of human rights protection accorded to minority communities....
The Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland on sexual orientation discrimination – justice served?
The facts of Ashers have been set out on this Blog previously, so only a brief recap is necessary here. The respondent was a gay man who ordered a cake...
Live Music during Thaipusam Processions in Singapore: Developments in the Law on Freedom of Religion
In Singapore, due to the 2009 Public Order Act, public processions require an official permit, which may have conditions attached. In Vijaya Kumar s/o Rajendran v Attorney-General (17 September 2015),...
The French Council of State on the Burkini – Part 2: Upholding Religious Freedom
In its ordinance of 26 August 2016 entitled Ligue des droits de l’homme et autres the Council of State — France’s highest administrative court —declared that the order of the...
The French Council of State on the Burkini – Part 1: “Reflections on Public Order”
On 26 August 2016, in an ordinance titled “Ligue des droits de l’homme et autres – association de défense des droits de l’homme collectif contre l’islamophobie en France”, the Council...
The ‘Burkini Ban’ – A Red Line even for the European Court of Human Rights?
The decision of several authorities in France to prohibit the wearing of the burkini on public beaches has caused considerable controversy. Within France, the ‘burkini ban’ has been justified primarily...
L’interdiction au Maroc de rompre le jeune pendant le Ramadan est contraire aux obligations internationales des droits de l’homme de ce pays
Ce jeudi 16 juin 2016 d’après ce qui à été publié par le journal Marocain TelQuel, deux hommes ont été condamné à de la prison pour avoir rompu en publique...
Morocco’s Prohibition on Breaking Fast During Ramadan Violates The Right to Freedom of Religion and Belief
On Thursday, 16th of June 2016, according to what was reported by the Moroccan newspaper TelQuel, two men have been sentenced for publicly breaking the religious fast during the holy...
