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