Legal news

I tuned in to tonight’s BBC Panorama programme [27 October] late, just in time to hear reporter Simon Boazman explain how the government plans to collect information on children. He asked his own daughter some of the questions that are included in a questionaire to test something or other. Did she go to church? What religion was she? Did she believe in God? I’ll watch the programme again to check (you can see it online for the next week using the BBC’s i-player), but my mind was boggling.

The British Humanist Association has issued legal proceedings against the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) over their decision not to allow the study of Humanism in a Religious Studies GCSE in the same way as religions are studied. The exam board OCR had included Humanism alongside religions in its proposed GCSE in Religious Studies, announced in April 2008, but a decision by the QCA has meant that it could not be included.

I’ve been tipped off that a nasty atheist has been making trouble locally. My source informs me,

A self-confessed atheist took issue with a Christian neighbour who had placed a metal fish on the rear of her car. He went on to subject her to months of harassment and intimidating behaviour.

The anti-social atheist was in court today.

In anticipation of any “There, you see! Atheists are all nasty people!” stories in the local media, with indignant Christians queueing up to say they told us so, here are a few points you might raise, if necessary:

A Muslim has been found guilty of child cruelty after forcing two boys to beat themselves during a religious ceremony. The practice has caused controversy in Britain, but this is the first case of its kind to be brought before a UK court.

BBC NEWS | UK | How a Shia ritual ended in court.

A city council has blocked its staff from looking at websites about atheism. Lawyers at the National Secular Society said the move by Birmingham City Council was "discriminatory" and they would consider legal action. The rules also ban sites that promote witchcraft, the paranormal, sexual deviancy and criminal activity.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has today [10/4/08]welcomed the forthcoming repeal of the Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951 and its replacement with much stricter regulations, offering often very vulnerable consumers much greater protection against fraud and dishonest behaviour when they access spiritualist ‘services’.

It seems that the archbishop was wrong to compare sharia with the Jewish beit din.

Earlier this month Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams stunned much of his own church and the rest of the world by saying that it seems unavoidable that elements of Sharia will be adopted into the British legal system…