Scottish judge rules churches are free to open with immediate effect

25 March 2021

The Scottish High Court has ruled that the Scottish Government acted unconstitutionally when it closed churches for public worship during the current pandemic, following a judicial review brought forward by 27 Scottish church leaders.

In his ruling, Lord Braid states that “the Regulations do constitute a disproportionate interference with the article 9 right of the petitioners and others … Reverting to the constitutional issue, for the same reasons I therefore find that the Regulations are also a disproportionate interference with the petitioners’ and additional party’s constitutional rights.” He argued that churches should therefore be allowed to open with immediate effect, rather than having to wait until Friday, as the Scottish government had previously said.

The news was covered in-depth on BBC News Reporting Scotland.

 

24 March 2021
BBC News Reporting Scotland

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