News from around the world. Curated by Mark McDowell. Posts do not constitute agreement or endorsement.
Across the country, the Satanic Temple, an IRS-recognized atheist church with some 300,000 devotees, is waging a legal battle it says is for religious liberty, using tactics that have proved effective for Christian groups. The church, which preaches both empathy and the "freedom to offend," has filed at least seven…
WASHINGTON — Decades ago, the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment’s prohibition of “establishment” of religion was violated if the government supplied maps to religious schools, but not if it supplied books. So, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., mischievously wondered: What about atlases, which are books of maps? Now…
WATCH: (March 1, 2021) A group of B.C. churches are challenging the B.C. Public Health Order prohibiting public gatherings, claiming those rules infringe on their Charter rights. Ted Chernecki reports – Mar 1, 2021 The B.C. Supreme Court has dismissed a legal challenge to the province’s restrictions on in-person religious…
Decades ago, the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment’s prohibition of “establishment” of religion was violated if the government supplied maps to religious schools, but not if it supplied books. So, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., mischievously wondered: What about atlases, which are books of maps? Now comes another…
Canadian Pastor James Coates with his family in this undated photo. A pastor in Canada who was arrested for refusing to adhere to COVID-19 worship restrictions will be released from jail after prosecutors dropped all but one of the charges against him. Pastor James Coates of GraceLife Church in Edmonton,…
Pastor James Coates of GraceLife Church near Edmonton. Photo by Screenshot Article content EDMONTON — An Alberta pastor, who has spent weeks in jail after holding church services in violation of public health rules, is expected to be released in the coming days, his lawyers say. James Coates is expected…
GEORGE WILL Decades ago, the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment’s prohibition of “establishment” of religion was violated if the government supplied maps to religious schools, but not if it supplied books. So, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.) mischievously wondered: What about atlases, which are books of maps? Now…
In Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski , 592 U.S. ___ (2021), the United States Supreme Court held that plaintiffs asserting constitutional rights have standing to sue for past injuries, even if they only seek nominal damages. The decision is significant for public entities, but especially public schools, colleges and universities. In Uzuegbunam…
U.S. Supreme Court building. (Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM) Sometimes a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court seems so unusual that it cries out for some reasonable explanation as to why the court took the case in the first place, what constitutional principle is at stake that the court sought to vindicate,…
[co-author: Gabriella Manduca] On March 2, 2021, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed into law the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (CDPA), making Virginia the second state after California to enact comprehensive privacy legislation. The CDPA will become effective on January 1, 2023, the same day the California Privacy Rights Act…
COMMENTARY: The court’s 8-1 decision in Chike Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski is a victory for religious freedom. United States Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. (photo: Brandon Bordages / Shutterstock) The Supreme Court on Monday decided Chike Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski . It’s a huge victory for religious freedom and strikes a…
Knights of Columbus Brief decision that the district court in California made in this case is reversed, then it is certain that American’s principle rights will indeed be abolished. The fundamental rights of American individuals were indeed created by God, and no one, including any governmental authority, has the right…
State Rep. Webster Barnaby has filed a bill seeking to give high schools the right to say anything, including prayers , using the stadium microphone before high-school playoff games. The bill touches on the First Amendment rights to practice one’s faith and free speech and to be free from government-imposed…
State Rep. Webster Barnaby has filed a bill seeking to give high schools the right to say anything, including prayers , using the stadium microphone before high-school playoff games. The bill touches on the First Amendment rights to practice one’s faith and free speech and to be free from government-imposed…
Jacob Anthony Chansley is shown standing at the dais in the U.S. Senate chamber on January 6 during the riots at the U.S. Capitol. This image from Twitter is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s complaint. March 3 (UPI) — Special diets for prisoners based on their religious practices…
The Supreme Court has lifted California’s ban on indoor church services, ruling that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s strict orders violate the Constitution’s protection of the free exercise of religion. WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has lifted California’s ban on indoor church services during the pandemic, ruling that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s strict…
Catholic News Agency, February 10, 2021 Attorneys for the Archdiocese of Chicago argued before the Seventh Circuit on Tuesday that parishes should be free to choose church leaders without government interference. In the case of Demkovich v. St. Andrew the Apostle Parish , the former music director at St. Andrew’s…
As a professor of Law since 1977, I always come across cases when the laws of the State collide with the teachings of the Church, and I always find refuge in many provisions of our Constitution on the separation between the Church and the State, as well as the freedom…
There have been a number of recent Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) cases involving phrase marks. In all instances, the phrases have been refused registration not because of descriptiveness or misdescriptiveness of any kind, but because they fail to function as trademarks due to their informational characteristics and widespread…
When has a fired employee suffered an illegal retaliatory discharge, and are there exceptions to such firing? If you’ve been fired by your employer, you might have a common law retaliatory discharge claim if you prove 1) you have, in fact, been actually fired; 2) in retaliation for your activities;…
The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday barred the State of Alabama from executing Willie Smith because it had refused to allow his pastor to be present with him in the execution chamber. An opinion from the Court stated that “Alabama has not carried its burden of showing that the exclusion of…
Agency updates religious discrimination for first time in over a decade The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has updated the section of its Compliance Manual on religious discrimination in the workplace. The updated section on religious discrimination was published in January 2021 after a short review period and a 3-2…
Washington D.C., Feb 10, 2021 / 04:00 am MT ( CNA ).- Attorneys for the Archdiocese of Chicago argued before the Seventh Circuit on Tuesday that parishes should be free to choose church leaders without government interference. In the case of Demkovich v. St. Andrew the Apostle Parish , the…
Above: South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista, May 20, 2020. A Chula Vista church was celebrating a legal victory Saturday after the U.S. Supreme Court granted a partial injunction against California’s prohibition against indoor worship services to help limit the spread of coronavirus. On a 6-3 vote late…
A Peroni float rides by St.Peter and Paul Church during the Italian Heritage parade, in San Francisco, California, on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016. But by a 6-3 vote , the court ordered California to lift the prohibition on indoor worship that Newsom imposed on nearly all counties in the state.…