The Portal - Australia edition February 2014 | Page 14
THE P RTAL
February 2014
Page 10
CTS Guide
to Religious Freedom
and the Law
In January
2014 the Catholic Truth Society published a booklet, “Guide to Religious Freedom and
the Law” written by Neil Addison. Neil describes it as “an attempt to provide information on aspects of the
law relating to Religious Freedom and Discrimination which are of specific interest to Catholic Institutions
and individual Catholics in particular the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010.”
Thomas More Legal Centre
Neil is a practising barrister and
National Director of the Thomas More
Legal Centre, a charity that provides free
legal advice and assistance to people of any
religion who are suffering discrimination
because of their religious beliefs. It has
been particularly involved in defending
health service workers who are being
pressurised to participate in abortion.
religionlaw.blogspot.co.uk
organisation which has membership
criteria that someone might claim to
be discriminatory and therefore illegal
under the Equality Act. Fortunately
there are specific exemptions in the Act
for membership organisations.
the very last resort
Though the booklet is aimed at
Catholics, Neil hopes that it will be of
assistance to others as well. He adds,
“Though the booklet is designed to give
legal advice, it is not my intention to
encourage litigation. Recourse to the law should be the
very last resort of any individual. If possible disputes
are best resolved by discussion away from publicity.”
The CTS booklet is not Neil’s first law
book on this subject; he is the author of a detailed legal
text book “Religious Discrimination and Hatred Law”
and he runs the blog religionlaw.blogspot.co.uk. He
says however that the CTS booklet is far more specific
and targeted than most law books. “There are many
books on discrimination and human rights law, but the
specific exemptions in the law which apply to religious
organisations are often covered in a cursory way. In
this CTS book, by contrast, the exemptions and how
they apply is the main area of interest.”
The booklet arose from discussions with the
Director of CTS and the experience has for Neil been
quite an eye opener. “I was extremely impressed by the
dedication and professionalism of the staff in CTS. It
was a real pleasure working with them.”
specific legal issues for Catholics
explodes one persistent legal myth
By concentrating on what are the specific legal issues
applying to Catholics Neil hopes that his booklet will
be easier to understand. As he puts it, “I can only hope
I have struck the right balance with this guide between
trying to cover everything and not covering enough.”
Finally Neil explodes one persistent legal myth.
Despite assertions to the contrary, there is NO legal
rule preventing a Roman Catholic becoming Prime
Minister or indeed any Minister. There are of course
laws preventing the Monarch from being, or being
married to, a Roman Catholic but otherwise Catholics
may play their full part in society.
Disability Discrimination
Experience with CTS
One of the areas of Equality he did not cover is
Disability Discrimination. Neil does however provide available from CTS
weblinks to organisations representing Blind and Deaf
The booklet deals with the legal situation in England,
Catholics which can provide help and guidance in this Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland, for historical
area.
reasons, has its own legislation dealing with Religious
Discrimination.
The ‘Ladies Ordinariate Group’
One issue covered is the legal right of Catholic
Organisations to restrict their membership. The
‘Ladies Ordinariate Group’, for example, is an
The booklet, “Guide to Religious Freedom and the
Law” written by Neil Addison. It is available from CTS
priced £2.50 - www.ctsbo