Right to Freedom of Religion

Blog: Scalia’s Influence on the Religion Clauses: Part II

Blog: Scalia’s Influence on the Religion Clauses: Part II

During the last thirty years, Justice Scalia was a key figure in the Supreme Court’s steady movement away from separationist readings of the Establishment Clause in state funding of religious...
Justice Scalia’s Influence on the Religion Clauses Part I: Free Exercise Law

Justice Scalia’s Influence on the Religion Clauses Part I: Free Exercise Law

The “big three” issues in Religion Clauses jurisprudence are: (1) whether and how judges should decide claims to free exercise exemptions from generally applicable laws; (2) when government religious speech...
Pakistan: A Paradoxical Divinity

Pakistan: A Paradoxical Divinity

The 4 January 2016 marked five years since the Punjab governor Salman Taseer was killed by a member of his own security detail in a popular market in Pakistan’s capital...
Conscientious Objection or Conscious Oppression?: The Uphill Battle to Access Abortion Services in Uruguay

Conscientious Objection or Conscious Oppression?: The Uphill Battle to Access Abortion Services in Uruguay

In October 2012, Uruguay passed Law 18,987 that waives criminal penalties for abortion in the first 12 weeks of gestation. Where the pregnancy results from rape, abortion is permitted in...
The Indian Supreme Court and the Missing Connection between Faith and Dress

The Indian Supreme Court and the Missing Connection between Faith and Dress

The Indian Supreme Court’s recent comments trivialising the importance of religious dress to faith have troubling implications. The Court has rejected a bid to quash guidelines prohibiting candidates from wearing...
Santhara: Jains’ Right to Exit with Dignity

Santhara: Jains’ Right to Exit with Dignity

The Jain religion of India has been embroiled in legal controversy surrounding the practice of Santhara or Sallekhana. The Jains, a religious minority in the country, believe in the immortality...
Recent Developments in the UN Human Rights Council: Traditional Values and Women’s Right to Equality in the Family

Recent Developments in the UN Human Rights Council: Traditional Values and Women’s Right to Equality in the Family

In recent years at the United Nation’s Human Right’s Council (UNHRC) an ideological challenge has been directed against the universality of international human rights by a strong religious lobby. Religions...
Conscience Wars and Complicity Claims

Conscience Wars and Complicity Claims

A new front is opening in the culture wars. Persons of faith are now seeking religious exemptions from laws concerning sex, reproduction, and marriage on the ground that the law...
Lee v Ashers Bakery: Cake Now or Cake Later?

Lee v Ashers Bakery: Cake Now or Cake Later?

Northern Ireland delivers a small slice of sweet justice to the gay rights movement, but for some, it leaves a bitter aftertaste. Is the law moving too fast? Just days...
Let Them Buy (Gay) Cake: Anti-Discrimination in Northern Irish Courts

Let Them Buy (Gay) Cake: Anti-Discrimination in Northern Irish Courts

Over the weekend, the same-sex marriage referendum in Ireland dominated headlines around the world. The week before the referendum, the media’s attention was focused on Northern Ireland (‘NI’) and another...
Does Islamic Law Deny a Right to Vote?

Does Islamic Law Deny a Right to Vote?

On April 22nd, British born radical cleric, Anjem Choudary declared Muslim MPs and voters to be “apostates” since he believes voting to be a “sin” against Islam. Allah, Mr. Choudary...
Religion in the classroom: Loyola High School versus the Supreme Court of Canada

Religion in the classroom: Loyola High School versus the Supreme Court of Canada

In Quebec the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports mandated that all schools, including private schools, taught a program on “Ethics and Religious Culture” (ERC). The program had to teach...

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