"The Center held its Eighteenth Annual International Law and Religion Symposium, "Religious Freedom in a Pluralistic Age: Trends, Challenges, and Practices," October 2-4, 2011. This event continued the tradition of bringing together a diverse group of figures involved in issues of law and religion and religious freedom to address trends, concerns, and best practices. Participants brought insights from their experience as members of the judiciary, government officials, NGO activists, media personalities, religious leaders, and scholars. ... more

The 18th Annual International Law and Religion Symposium of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies of the J. Reuben Clark Law School took place on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, from October 2 through 4, 2011. This year's conference, "Religious Freedom in a Pluralistic Age: Trends, Challenges, and Practices," welcomed more than 75 participants, representing 37 countries. The Symposium opened in the Law School's Moot Court Room on Sunday evening, October 2, with an address distinguished keynote speaker, Zakeria Mohammed ... more

Heidi Carmack
BYU Law School Reporter

South Africa’s Justice Zakeria Mohammed Yacoob was the keynote speaker in the opening session of the 18th Annual International Center for Law and Religion Studies Symposium, "Religious Freedom in a Pluralistic Age: Trends, Challenges and Practices.' Justice Yacoob called listeners to action, stating that all people have the potential to add value in this critical fight for religious freedom.

"Religion, conscience, thought and belief should, I believe, be regarded as the core of our humanity as a crucial component of our ... more

The Eighteenth Annual International Law and Religion came to a close in a plenary session on Tuesday afternoon, October 4, 2011. Center Director Cole Durham invited seven Symposium delegates and one audience member to join him in summarizing the event for all assembled in the Law School's Moot Court Room and listening in via live Internet stream.

Thanking the participants for their contributions, and for the sacrifices of their time and efforts spent in travel to Provo for the Symposium Professor Durham noted that "one of the things we treasure about this conference is the opportunity to provide ... more

Dr. Rachael Kohn, host of the Australia ABC radio program The Spirit of Things, was a delegate to the Eighteenth Annual International Law and Religion Symposium. For her program of 23 October, Dr. Kohn broadcast an interview with fellow Symposium participants from Malaysia, conducted during her stay in Provo.

Religious pluralism marks the history of Malaysia, notes Dr. Kohn, but riots in 1969 fostered tensions between religious groups that have had lasting effects. Recently-retired Chief Justice of Malaysia, Zaki bin Tun Azmi, says religious pluralism is very well managed ... more

The Student Executive Committee makes the Symposium possible. The staff of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies, and the delegates to the 18th Annual International Law and Religion Symposium are profoundly grateful to this year's outstanding Committee: Rebecca Hansen, Heath Becker, Chase Gunnell, Nate White, Kimberly Tolman, Jordan Teuscher, Cecily Couture, Justin Caplin, Josh Bishop, Tyler Albrechtsen, Jens Rasmussen, Brandon Bastian, Rachel Snow, and Carly Castle. 

The success of the Symposium each year is due in large part ... more

The International Center for Law and Religion Studies is grateful once again this year for the indispensable help of our friends who have volunteered to assist in hosting delegates to the annual International Law and Religion Symposium. This year's hosts were led by a Hosting Committee comprised of chairs Linda Nearon and Lynn Anderson, with committee members Jim & Bonnie Pollock, Scott & Chris Cameron, and Kelly & Tamra Reeves, along with Center ... more

The International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS) at Brigham Young University and the Community Service Outreach Committee of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society (JRCLS) have presented the first Religious Freedom Discussion Series—a bi-monthly forum led by the globally recognized religious freedom experts who serve as the ICLRS leadership. Lectures are delivered at the Law School and are available as live Internet streams. Information ... more

The International Center for Law and Religion Studies of the J. Reuben Clark Law School is pleased to announce the selection of the Student Research Fellows for 2012. These fifteen outstanding law students will participate in the ICLRS Student Research Fellows Program, involving a five-week international ... more

Oxford University Press has announced a new publication, The Oxford Journal of Law and Religion, with a first issue to appear in early 2012. Three members of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies will participate in the production of the Journal. Center Director W. Cole Durham, Jr. is among five international scholars who will serve as Editors-in-Chief. Professor Durham will share editorial duties with Malcolm Evans, University of Bristol (UK); Silvio Ferrari, Università degli Studi di Milano (Italy); Julian Rivers, University of Bristol (UK); and Gerhard Robbers, Universität Trier ... more

Professor W. Cole Durham, Jr., Director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS) at Brigham Young University, was installed as President of the International Consortium for Law and Religion Studies (ICLARS) at the Second ICLARS Conference, held 8-10 September 2011 in Santiago, Chile. Professor Durham succeeds Professor Silvio Ferrari of Università degli Studi di Milano. ... more

Members of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies organized, delivered papers at, or otherwise participated in the following events during July-November 2011.

For more information about these and other Religious Freedom conferences and events, please consult the Home, Conferences, and News pages of the ICLRS website, as well as the Center's Calendar of Events ... more

Links to news items and opinions are available for the United States and other jurisdictions worldwide on the ICLRS website. News particular to U.S. Court Cases is available here.

Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC, the "ministerial exception case," was argued in the Supreme Court on October 5, 2011. The transcript of the oral argument is available here. [Amicus brief for the Petitioner submitted by the International Center for Law and Religion Studies available here.] Judgment, in what is perhaps the most important religious freedom to come before the Court in decades, is expected some time later this year. ... more

Senator Joseph Lieberman addressed the topic "Faith and the Public Square," related to his recently published book, The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath, at Brigham Young University's Marriott Center on Tuesday, 25 October 2011. The lecture will be rebroadcast on KBYU-TV at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on November 20. Click here to read the BYU News Report of the event.

Reviewing Senator Lieberman's book for Washington Times, critic Michael Medved noted that the ... more

The Committee on the Judiciary of the United States House of Representatives held a hearing on Wednesday, 26 October 2011 on the subject "The State of Religious Freedom in the United States." The hearing convened under the auspices of the Subcommittee on the Constitution by direction of the Chairman of the Committee, Trent Franks. Witnesses included Bishop William Lori, Bishop of Bridgeport, Connecticut; Rev. Barry Lynn, Executive Director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State; and Colby M. May, Senior Counsel and Director of the Washington Office of the American Center for ... more

According to a comprehensive study released on 9 August 2011 by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, one-third of the world's population experienced an increase in restrictions on religion during the period of the study. The study, Rising Restrictions on Religion, finds that restrictions on religious beliefs and practices rose between mid-2006 and mid-2009 in 23 of the world’s 198 countries (12%), decreased in 12 countries (6%) and remained ... more