Christian Concern submits evidence to the Covid-19 Public Inquiry

Christian Concern has submitted evidence to the Covid-19 Public Inquiry about the impact of lockdown restrictions on freedom of religion.

The totalitarian lockdown measures were government overreach on a wide scale affecting freedom of religion, bodily autonomy, and freedom of association.

In a letter accompanying a bundle of legal documents submitted to the inquiry, Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of Christian Concern wrote:

“Christian Concern and its sister organisation the Christian Legal Centre were very active during the covid pandemic helping and advising dozens of Christian ministers of various kinds who found themselves prevented by law from carrying out their Christian ministry.”

“The lockdown measures instigated during the pandemic marked the first time in hundreds of years that gathered Christian worship was criminalised. While bicycle shops and off-licences were deemed ‘essential’, Christian ministry was made illegal.

“The criminalising of Christian ministry was manifestly unjust at a time when people were desperate to gather for prayer, worship and fellowship, and could have done so in ways that carried little to no risk of spreading the virus. Other forms of ministry such as foodbanks and vaccination centres were allowed to operate, sometimes in church buildings, while Christian worship was banned.”

The letter goes on to describe how Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre helped dozens of church leaders mount a legal challenge to the government’s decision to enforce the closure of churches. This culminated in a historic judgment in Scotland which ruled that the enforced closure of churches was illegal in that it breached both human rights and the constitution. This was one of very few successful legal cases against lockdown measures.

The bundle of legal documents submitted to the inquiry includes exchanges of legal letters between the church leaders’ lawyers and government lawyers, as well as witness statements from church leaders involved in the legal proceedings. Expert witness reports on the Biblical importance of gathered worship and the safety of church ministry in the covid pandemic are also included. Lord Braid’s historic judgement ruling that the enforced closure of churches was illegal is also included.

Christian Concern received a reply from the inquiry stating that the documents have been passed to the inquiry’s legal team for consideration.