Religion has returned forcefully both as a subject of academic debate, as a lived reality in contemporary societies and as a renewed challenge for secular systems of governance. The Conference will examine the relationships between “Law, Religion and Education”, addressing the accommodation of religious diversity as well as the content and meaning of education, notably religious education, in a human rights context.
The topic addressed and examined over two days is full of tensions and complex issues. It is also extremely newsworthy. In the Lautsi case at the European Court of Human Rights it was recently held that the presence of crucifixes the classroom at State schools was contrary to the State’s duty of neutrality and violated the plaintiff’s right to freedom of religion under Article 9 of the Convention.
In a comparative and multidisciplinary perspective, this extremely timely project will study the key concepts of laïcité, discrimination and religious freedom; it will present the different models of religious regulation adopted in Europe, and different models of Church-State relations. General sessions will be followed by case studies targeting topical and controversial issues raised in various European jurisdictions under three different headings: defining religious beliefs, defining teaching content and religious symbols.
