Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 24 July 2024
Sri Lanka’s cremation apology fails to enthuse minorities
(Union of Catholic Asian News)
Navy SEALs, personnel denied religious accommodation from COVID vaccine mandate reach settlement with Navy
(First Liberty)
Monday, 8 July 2024
Religious San Francisco BART workers settle Covid vaccine case
(Isaiah Poritz, Bloomberg Law)
Friday, 21 June 2024
9th Circuit reverses dismissal of suit challenging refusal to grant religious exemptions to vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Monday, 27 May 2024
8th Circuit reverses dismissal of suit for failure to accommodate religious objections to vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Religious exemption claim brought by employees who objected to covid vaccination and testing can go forward
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)
Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Judge: Religious day cares in California must follow state laws, even while indignant
(Sam Ribakoff, Courthouse News Service)
Friday, 10 May 2024
Federal court rules University of Colorado vaccine policies “motivated by religious animus”
(Thomas More Society)
Friday, 26 April 2024
Qualified immunity granted in denial of religious exemption from vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 17 April 2024
Denial of religious exemption from vaccine mandate upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 27 March 2024
Denial of religious exemption from vaccine mandate did not violate Title VII or Constitution
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Catholic group calls on UK’s COVID-19 inquiry to look at impact on faith groups
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Australia: Should an employer's religious views influence a dismissal decision?
(Paulinet Tamaray, HCAMag)
Law firm beats COVID vax refuser's religious bias, ADA suit
(Emmy Freedman, Law360)
Unvaccinated employee awarded unemployment benefits after denial of religious exemption
(New England Biz Law)
Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Title VII challenge to denial of vaccine exemption survives motion to dismiss
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 9 February 2024
Expressed hostility to religious belief of vaccine exemption applicant did not violate 1st Amendment
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Court rules on class action certification of claims by religious objectors to covid vaccine
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 19 January 2024
Denial of vaccine mandate exemption for nurse is upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 17 January 2024
School did not violate Title VII in denying religious exemption to covid rules
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 12 January 2024
Canada: Charges against Canadians who defended religious freedom stayed
(Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms)
Friday, 5 January 2024
Shriners Hopsital beats worker Covid vaccine religious bias case
(Jennifer Bennett, Bloomberg Law)
City could not require pastor's certificate as condition of vaccine exemption
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 1 December 2023
British Appeals Court upholds preacher's fraud conviction for selling COVID preventative
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Employee fired for refusing COVID-19 vaccination sues Colorado company
(Logan Smith, CBS Colorado)
Friday, 24 November 2023
Appeals court upholds denial of unemployment benefits to health care worker who was denied religious exemption from vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 1 November 2023
Justices skip religious Maine health workers' Covid vaccine suit
(Patrick Dorrian, Bloomberg Law)
Friday, 20 October 2023
Employees' objections to covid vaccine were not religious
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Monday, 9 October 2023
China: A family shattered for 24 years – the story of Falun Gong activist Fang Bin
(FoRB in Full: A blog by CSW)
1st Circuit remands covid vaccine religious exemption case
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Employees failed to show sincere religious beliefs for vaccine exemptions
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 22 September 2023
New decisions on covid vaccine religious objection claims
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Canada: Manitoba churches appealing unjustified church closures to the Supreme Court of Canada
(Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms)
Religious exemption from COVID-19 vaccine mandate would cause undue hardship
(Robert S. Teachout, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM))
Friday, 8 September 2023
Religion and private law
(Neil Foster, Law and Religion Australia)
Wednesday, 6 September 2023
Canada: 'I am guilty': Plea by controversial pastor resolves all COVID-related charges
(Heather Rivers, The London Free Press)
Friday, 1 September 2023
Court ok's denial of unemployment benefits for religious objector to covid vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 30 August 2023
Title VII claim for denying religious exemption from vaccine mandate moves ahead
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Canada: Charges withdrawn against Fairview Baptist Church
(Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms)
Friday, 18 August 2023
European Court of Human Rights to settle Covid worship question
(Lois McLatchie Miller, Scottish Legal News)
Friday, 11 August 2023
Canada's top court refuses appeal from B.C. churches protesting COVID-19 restrictions
(CBC News)
Monday, 7 August 2023
Houses of worship would be exempt from emergency orders under proposed constitutional amendment [Wisconsin]
(Anya van Wagtendonk, Wisconsin Public Radio)
Wednesday, 2 August 2023
ECtHR challenge to COVID restrictions on public worship
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Monday, 31 July 2023
Arguments submitted at Europe’s top human rights court on COVID worship ban
(ADF International)
Friday, 28 July 2023
EEOC Report: COVID-19 vaccine-related employment disputes fuel surge of religious discrimination claims
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
Some claimed exemptions from vaccine mandate were not religious in nature
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 26 July 2023
In vaccine debate, lawmakers target religious exemption
(Alison Kuznitz, NBC 10 Boston)
Friday, 21 July 2023
New book: An Epidemic among My People: Religion, Politics, and COVID-19 in the United States
(Edited by Paul A. Djupe and Amanda Friesen, Temple University Press)
Wednesday, 19 July 2023
Denial of teacher's religious exemption from covid vaccine mandate is upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 14 July 2023
Korea: Seoul city loses suit against church over COVID-19 spread
(Hwang Jang-jin, Yonhap News Agency)
Mississippi, under judge’s order, starts allowing religious exemptions for childhood vaccinations
(Emily Wagster Pettus, Associated Press)
Wednesday, 12 July 2023
New Virginia law offers churches additional protections against being shut down
(Daniel Payne, Catholic News Agency)
Monday, 26 June 2023
3 courts rule on claims for religious exemptions from covid vaccine mandates
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Ethical veganism, COVID vaccine and employment: Owen v Willow Tower
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Friday, 23 June 2023
Through personal ups and downs, they've waited years to perform Hajj. These are their stories
(Fares Akram, Niniek Karmini, Abby Sewell, Mariam Fam, and Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Associated Press)
Wednesday, 14 June 2023
Tennessee Human Rights Act does not require religious accommodation
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 2 June 2023
Football coach can proceed on some claims against university after termination for refusing covid vaccine
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Monday, 29 May 2023
1st Circuit: Free Exercise claim by Maine healthcare workers over COVID mandate may move forward
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Monday, 22 May 2023
COVID-19 and the decline of religion in America
(Mark Silk, RNS Column: Spiritual Politics)
Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Ninth Circuit renews San Francisco employees’ lawsuit over vaccine mandates
(Candace Cheung, Courthouse News Service)
Friday, 12 May 2023
Vol. 16 No. 1 (2023): The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religious minorities
(International Journal for Religious Freedom (IJRF))
Friday, 5 May 2023
Brazil: Restriction of religious freedom in the pandemic and its legislative competence (Portuguese)
(Fernando Capez, Conjur)
Monday, 1 May 2023
Court calls for fuller explanation for denying religious exemption from covid vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 14 April 2023
Dismissal recommended in healthcare worker's claim for religious exemption from vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Slovakia: Former EU religious freedom champion challenges 2021 Covid-19 worship restrictions
(Evangelical Focus)
Wednesday, 5 April 2023
Former EU Envoy for Freedom of Religion tackles Covid restrictions on public worship at Europe’s Top Human Rights Court
(ADF International)
Friday, 31 March 2023
11th Circuit: Jewish student's masking objections do not get 1st Amendment protection
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Monday, 27 March 2023
NYPD administrative review of religious exemption claim was arbitrary
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
COVID-19 sent houses of worship online. Will congregations come back in person?
(Ryan Burge, Religion News Service)
Friday, 17 March 2023
J.M. Smucker is not a state actor
(Jonathan H. Adler, The Volokh Conspiracy)
Wednesday, 15 March 2023
6th Circuit: Employees have no free exercise claim against company that denied them a religious exemption from vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
COVID order violated priest's free exercise rights
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Webinar in Geneva: Conflict, children, climate, and COVID
(JoAnne Wadsworth, G20 Interfaith Forum Blog)
Friday, 10 March 2023
Federal judge pauses church’s fight over Santa Clara Covid rules
(Natalie Hanson, Courthouse News Service)
Wednesday, 8 March 2023
Minnesota appeals court decides when religious reasons for vaccine refusal were proven
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Religion and the lawbreaking Supreme Court
(Andrew Koppelman, The Hill)
Friday, 3 March 2023
Reasonable limits: how far does religious freedom go in Canada?
(Dwight Newman, Cardus)
Wednesday, 1 March 2023
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on freedom of religion or belief in Turkey report is published
(İnanç Özgürlüğü Girişimi)
Court rejects free exercise claim of judge who was not reappointed because of vaccination status
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Tuesday, 21 February 2023
5th Circuit rejects pastor's jurisdictional theory of religion clauses
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 15 February 2023
Denial of NYPD officer's religious objection to vaccination was arbitrary and capricious
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 10 February 2023
2nd Circuit hears arguments on religious objections to NYC employee vaccine mandate
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Judge England condemns lawless executive power in Moscow, ID
(Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy)
Wednesday, 8 February 2023
Court tells city to negotiate damages after its wrongful arrest of "psalm sing" protesters against covid restrictions
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Federal Reserve Bank can be sued under both Title VII and RFRA
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 13 January 2023
Learning from the vast COVID-19 restrictions on religion
(Eric Patterson, World)
Wednesday, 11 January 2023
Faith after the pandemic: How COVID-19 changed American religion. Findings from the 2022 American Religious Benchmark Survey
(Lindsay Witt-Swanson, Jennifer Benz, and Daniel A. Cox, Survey Center on American Life)
Monday, 9 January 2023
COVID-19 ravaged worship attendance, but affiliation steady, study finds
(Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times)
Saturday, 7 January 2023
Vaccine mandate without religious exemption is upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Thursday, 5 January 2023
Court says idiosyncratic personal religious beliefs may not support religious accommodation
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Tuesday, 27 December 2022
Court remands question of accommodating religious objection to COVID testing
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Army enjoined from disciplining plaintiffs who refuse COVID vaccine on religious grounds
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 23 December 2022
COVID-19 and Religion: Pandemic Lessons and Legacies
(Katherine Marshall, The Review of Faith & International Affairs)
Monday, 19 December 2022
B.C. Court of Appeal sides with provincial health officer over COVID-19 restrictions on churches
(Jason Proctor · CBC News, CBC News)
British Columbia's COVID restrictions on worship services upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Friday, 16 December 2022
Sovereigns, exceptions, and “shadow dockets”: law, religion, and states of emergency
(M. Christian Green, Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion)
Ban on worship services during pandemic was illegal, says German court
(Christian Network Europe)
Friday, 2 December 2022
Court rejects religious challenges to covid mask requirements
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Wednesday, 30 November 2022
3rd Circuit: Challenge to COVID limits on worship services is moot
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
How COVID-19 restrictions affected religious groups around the world in 2020
(Samirah Majumdar, Pew Research Center)
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