A relatively quiet week, although our post on “reasonable accommodation” had a very wide readership
Conscientious objection in Ukraine
We have commented before on the fact that the ECtHR takes a very dim view of ill-treatment of conscientious objectors to military service – most recently in Buldu & Ors v Turkey [2014] ECHR 567, in which the successful applicants were Jehovah’s Witnesses who refused to perform military service on the grounds that it was contrary to biblical teaching.
All is not gloom, however. The Religious Information Service of Ukraine reports that on 26 February Dnipropetrovsk Regional Court of Appeal upheld the acquittal of a Jehovah’s Witness who asked for an alternative to obligatory military service, relying on the provisions of part 4 of Article 35 of the Constitution and on the jurisprudence of the ECtHR – though it is expected that the prosecution will appeal.
Council prayers – progress of Bill
In January we reported that that following a fairly brief report stage and third reading in the Commons, the Local Government (Religious etc. Observances) Bill had passed to the Lords unamended. Continue reading