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The freedom of churches to regulate their own affairs without state interference The principle of church autonomy has been a cornerstone of Western democracies since the Magna Carta first laid down the principle over 800 years ago. The freedom of churches to conduct their own affairs without interference from the government or other state bodies is at the centre of...
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Freedom of conscience Ellinor Grimmark is a Christian midwife with a life-long passion to bring life into the world. However, she has been refused employment by a number of medical clinics in Sweden because she refuses to participate in abortions. Ellinor applied for a position as a midwife at Höglandssjukhuset women’s clinic in 2013. After initially offering her the job, the...
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The UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) system is used to assess the human rights situations in all 193 Member States by other Member States. It gives Member States the opportunity to state what they are doing to improve human rights in their countries. Reports on Member States under review are also accepted from NGOs, and ADF International submits reports...
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Freedom of speech Pro-life advocate Michelle Fraser was criminally charged for displaying signs that depict the reality of abortion. Fraser was protesting outside the Fertility Clinic in East Melbourne, Australia, by holding two pictures of aborted foetuses obtained from a public library. ‘This is your choice’ was written on one picture, and ‘Blood Money’ on the other. A clinic employee complained...
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Right to life of unborn children Lia Shioshvili, a Georgian national who moved to Russia with her four children in 2003, could not have known that her fifth pregnancy would end so tragically. Lia had lived in Russia with her family for over three years when, in November 2006, Russian authorities decided to expel her from the country. She was pregnant...
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Principle of church autonomy Should religious institutions have the freedom to decide who teaches religious education in church schools? The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has consistently protected this principle of church autonomy. But it is being tested again in an ongoing Croatian case. Peter Travaš taught religion at a Catholic school in Croatia. He divorced his wife and in...
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Right to full compensation of victims of religiously motivated violence Debe Madi’s husband, a pastor, was murdered by members of a communist guerrilla group in August 2015. He was just 29 years old. Left with three children aged eight, six and two, Debe sought to take advantage of a government scheme that provides compensation to families affected by such violence....
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The lives of preborn babies Two women, Mrs X and Mrs Y, are attempting to change the law on abortion in India. If successful, the lives of many more preborn children would be under threat. The women have filed a Writ Petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India. The petition challenges the constitutional validity of section 3(2)(b) of the...
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Freedom of Speech Caleb Corneloup applied for a permit to preach in one of the open areas in the City of Launceston, in the State of Tasmania. Corneloup wanted to preach on political matters such as creation and evolution being taught in schools, same-sex ‘marriage’, abortion, and other teachings from a Christian perspective. Launceston laws prohibit preaching in open areas—which...
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