Religious Freedom, Religious Discrimination and the Role of Law
Format
5.15pm Registration
5.30pm The Chair, The Hon Justice Sarah Derrington, Federal Court of Australia, President of the Australian Law Reform Commission, will introduce the speaker, Professor Carolyn Evans, Vice-Chancellor and President, Griffith University, and commentator, Professor Patrick Parkinson, School of Law, The University of Queensland.
6.45pm Refreshments in the foyer
Abstract
Religious freedom and freedom from discrimination on the basis of religion are well-established rights in international law and many jurisdictions have a substantial case-law that examine both of these rights, including the tensions between them. While some limited forms of these rights are protected in the constitution, to date there has been relatively limited case law in Australia. With the development of statutory bills of rights and increased social tensions between secular and religious Australians, however, the law is increasingly being asked to step into conflicts that involve religion. What can we learn from the Australian case law to date and from other similar jurisdictions that can help Australian courts and legal policymakers with the complex issues that arise in this realm?
CPD
This seminar is accredited for CPD purposes by the Queensland Bar Association, 1.5 CPD points in the Substantive Law strand.
Registration
Registrations are now open via the Bar Association of Queensland:
About Current Legal Issues Seminar Series
Launched in 2009, Current Legal Issues is a high profile series of seminars featuring leading national and international legal scholars, practitioners and members of the judiciary.
The series is a collaboration between UQ Law, the Bar Association of Queensland, the Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Law and the Supreme Court of Queensland Library. It seeks to bring together leading scholars, practitioners and members of the Judiciary in Queensland and from abroad, with a view to:
- providing a forum for the critical analysis and discussion of current legal issues
- bringing to bear upon those issues the different perspectives offered by leading academics, legal professionals and the Judiciary
- forging stronger links between academic and practising lawyers in Queensland.
Each seminar will comprise a Chair, Speaker, and Commentator. The Chair will introduce the Speaker and Commentator. A paper will then be presented by a leading practitioner or academic lawyer, and will be subject to a brief, expert commentary. There will then be an opportunity for members of the floor to ask questions and engage in further discussion. The paper and a short profile of each participant will be available in advance on this website to assist in facilitating full discussion.
Venue
Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law
415 George Street
Brisbane