Freedom of Religion

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ICS strongly supports the NSW Joint Select Committee Report on the Anti-Discrimination Amendment (Religious Freedoms and Equality) Bill 2020 (NSW)

An all-party NSW Parliamentary Joint Select Committee Report has made detailed recommendations for a NSW Government Bill to protect people and organisations from discrimination based on their religious belief or activity.[1] The Committee’s Report deserves strong support. Federal, State and Territory anti-discrimination laws all prohibit discrimination based on race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation and

By Mark Sneddon| July 10th, 2021|Freedom of Conscience and Religion|

Briefing Sheet – Victorian Conversion Practices Bill

Victoria set to create the broadest and harshest limits on free speech and access to advice, health care, counselling and prayer for same-sex attracted and gender dysphoric people A PDF version of this brief is available here. Summary The Victorian Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020 started with a good idea of banning coerced

By Mark Sneddon| January 28th, 2021|Freedom of Conscience and Religion|

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Problems and Proposed Amendments: Victoria’s ‘Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020’

A PDF of this document is available here and a summary here. A. Summary of Issues with the Bill The Bill’s bans are far too broad and make beneficial conduct and practices illegal This Bill has been introduced in response to reports by people of practices they experienced as harmful and traumatic (at the time or later) which were

By Mark Sneddon| January 17th, 2021|Freedom of Conscience and Religion, Uncategorized|

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Anti-conversion Bill’s rigid ideology and overreach will harm not help

The Andrews Government’s Conversion and Suppression Practices Ban Bill started with an idea many would support – banning non-consensual aversion therapy for sexual orientation. But it totally jumps the shark by making illegal (and often criminal) a very wide range of conduct directed towards a person (from mere conversation to counselling to therapy) by anyone

By Mark Sneddon| December 8th, 2020|Freedom of Conscience and Religion|

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Submission on the Anti-Discrimination Amendment (Religious Freedoms and Equality) Bill 2020 (NSW)

ICS supports NSW Bill on Religious Discrimination and unpicks erroneous criticism that the Bill preferences religion. Mark Sneddon appeared before the Committee on 23 October to speak to the submission. PDF available here. The need for Religious Discrimination Legislation in NSW now Australians who regularly practise their religion are in a minority. Those who follow

By Mark Sneddon| October 24th, 2020|Freedom of Conscience and Religion, Freedom of Expression|

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Scare Campaign Against Bill Uses Hypotheticals, But Real People Need Its Protection

Australians who regularly practise their religion are in a minority. Those who follow traditional religious practices on matters like sexual ethics, marriage, sanctity of human life, prayer and fasting or religious dress are an unpopular minority in some quarters. Like other minorities, they experience discrimination, but they don’t have the same legal protection. All federal,

By Mark Sneddon| March 3rd, 2020|Freedom of Conscience and Religion|

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Comments on the Exposure Draft of the Religious Discrimination Bill 2019 and the Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Freedom of Religion) Bill 2019

ICS believes that the Second Exposure Draft of the Religious Discrimination Bill (RDB2) is a considerable improvement on the First Exposure Draft. We welcome the fact that a number of our concerns that were raised in our submission on the First Exposure Draft have been addressed. However, a number of those concerns remain unaddressed and

By Mark Sneddon| February 8th, 2020|Freedom of Conscience and Religion|

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Mark Sneddon on ABC TV: Israel Folau, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion

"The better remedy for views which you think are objectionable is to rebut them. The remedy for bad speech is good speech. The remedy for bad ideas is better arguments on the other side. And that's how a free society operates, and that's how hopefully we get closer to truth while not shutting each other

By Mark Sneddon| December 10th, 2019|Freedom of Conscience and Religion, Uncategorized|

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Comments on the Exposure Draft of the Religious Discrimination Bill 2019 and the Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Freedom of Religion) Bill 2019

PDF version available here. Executive summary ICS believes that the Religious Discrimination Bill (RD Bill) has much to commend it. However, there are a number of amendments and improvements that should be made in order to bolster the protection of freedom of religion and to meet Australia’s obligations under Article 18 of the International Covenant on

By Mark Sneddon| September 25th, 2019|Freedom of Conscience and Religion|

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Protecting Freedom of Religion and Belief in Anti-Discrimination Law – A First Look at the Religious Discrimination Bill

Mark Sneddon recently delivered a conference presentation on the newly proposed Religious Discrimination Bill. A PDF of the presentation is available here.

By Mark Sneddon| September 6th, 2019|Uncategorized|