Advocacy

Making a far-reaching and lasting impact

Establishing legal precedents at the highest levels

ADF International is changing the world – one nation … one case … one life at a time. We’re advocating for the sanctity of life, marriage and family, and religious freedom; coming alongside lawmakers to help shape legislation; working through international courts and institutions to engage world leaders and defend people of faith; partnering with influential organizations that share our vision for transforming the legal culture; and championing and supporting courageous individuals who are leading critical efforts in their nations, states, and communities.

Landmark Work

Our commitment involves us at every level of a wide spectrum of legal issues, as we work in countries worldwide to accomplish a diverse legal agenda, including: defending free speech, seeking justice for victims of persecution, guarding parental rights, revealing the dangers of commercial surrogacy, and preventing the spread of euthanasia.

Dimitrova v. Bulgaria

In Dimitrova v. Bulgaria, we successfully defended a Bulgarian woman’s right to lead private worship meetings in her home. This win at the European Court of Human Rights secured greater religious freedom for half a billion people throughout Europe.

Lautsi v. Italy

In Lautsi v. Italy, the Grand Chamber of the ECtHR ruled that public schools across Italy are free to place crucifixes on their walls—a major triumph for religious freedom across the continent. (ADF International intervened on behalf of 33 members of the European parliament, representing 11 European nations.)

Argentina Embraces Life

In Argentina, we provided expert testimony on the draft bill before the Argentine Senate. The testimony focused on Argentina’s obligations to protect life and conscience under international law.

Nagy v. Hungary

In Nagy v. Hungary, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights upheld church autonomy of religious institutions in a case involving a direct attack on the right of churches to determine their own faith-based standards for employment without government interference.
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Vanishing Girls

With our allies in India, we collaborated on the Vanishing Girls Project to bring an end to one of the greatest injustices in India today: female foeticide. This gendercide has claimed the lives of an estimated 19 million girls aborted during pregnancy or killed shortly after birth. In cooperation with social service organizations, government agencies, and the legal community, our allied lawyers are prosecuting doctors, medical centres, and individuals who participate in these mass killings.

Trinity Western University v. The Law Society of British Columbia

In Trinity Western University v. The Law Society of British Columbia (LSBC), the British Columbia Supreme Court reversed the LSBC’s decision to deny accreditation to Trinity Western’s proposed law school, our of opposition to the university’s biblical beliefs on appropriate sexual behaviour.

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