"The Law of Religion in New Zealand...covers key areas of religion in a legal context. The first chapter introduces the reader to law and religion generally, considering the general relationship between the two; religion and the state; the meaning and place of religion, and religion's general and legal definitions. Later chapters consider topics within New Zealand specifically such as religion in society, including Māori and religion and the post-colonisation religious landscape; freedom of religion; religion and family; religion and employment; religion and charity; and religion and education"--Back cover.

"Religion continues to play a significant and sometimes controversial role in the politics and culture of 'secular' New Zealand. Drawing on the expertise of scholars in law, religious and political studies, history and education, this volume explores the relationship between religion and politics in contemporary New Zealand, with a glance back to the past." "There are chapters on: religion, politics and the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s; government support of the churches; the question of whether New Zealand is a 'Christian state'; civic responsibilities of churches towards other faiths; religious education; and Christian political parties." --Book Jacket.

Discussion of the way in which law engages with religious difference often takes place within the context of a single jurisdiction. Religion and Law: An Introduction, presents a comprehensive text for students, drawing on examples from across key Anglophone jurisdictions – the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, as well as international law, to explore a broad range of issues. Aimed at a non-legal readership, this book introduces the use of legal sources and focuses on factual situations as much as legal doctrine. Key issues arising from interaction of the religious individual and the State are discussed, as well as the religious organisation or community and the State. The interaction is explored through case studies of areas as diverse as the legal regulation of religious drug use, sacred spaces and sacred places, and claims of clergy misconduct. Taking a broad, non-jurisdictional approach to the key issues, in particular providing insights differing from the dominant US experiences and paradigms, this student-friendly textbook includes a clearly structured bibliography and clear guidance on how to approach relevant legal materials.

Written in a lively style, the commentary contains a detailed analysis of this short, but important piece of constitutional legislation. To make it as accessible to readers as possible each chapter of the book follows a pattern of outlining similar provisions in comparable human rights systems (domestic and international), discussing the purposes of each right or provision in issue, engaging in a detailed examination of the meaning of the text of each provision, examining the extent to which justified limits can be placed on guaranteed rights and freedoms, and concluding by considering issues related to remedies where relevant.

The text takes the perspective of international human rights law, describes what it requires, and then analyses the extent to which New Zealand law complies with it. It is intended to be an authoritative text that can be cited in courts and be the book of choice for human rights courses; it should also play a role in the development of New Zealand law by reference to international human rights standards. Written by many of New Zealand's leading human rights law experts, the tone and content of the chapters combines the substance of sound legal academic analysis with the practicality of a book that can be used in practice by judges, lawyers, NGOs and activists. The book will appeal to both the academic and practitioner markets.

In contemporary pluralist states, where faith communities live together, different religious symbols and practices have to coexist. This may lead to conflicts between certain minority practices and the dominant majority, particularly around the manifestation of belief in the public domain which may be seen both by the religious and secular majorities as a threat to their cultural heritage or against the secular values of the host country. The law has to mitigate those tensions in order to protect the public from harm and preserve order but in doing so, it may where necessary have to limit citizens’ ability to freely manifest their religion. It is those limitations that have been disputed in the courts on grounds of freedom of religion and belief. Religious symbols are often at the heart of legal battles, with courts called upon to consider the lawfulness of banning or restricting certain symbols or practices. This book analyses the relationship between the state, individuals and religious symbols, considering the three main forms of religious expression, symbols that believers wear on their body, symbols in the public space such as religious edifices and rituals that believers perform as a manifestation of their faith. The book looks comparatively at legal responses in England, the U.S.A and France comparing different approaches to the issues of symbols in the public sphere and their interaction with the law. The book considers religious manifestation as a social phenomenon taking a multidisciplinary approach to the question mixing elements of the anthropology, history and sociology of religion in order to provide some context and examine how this could help inform the law.

"The Australian Constitution contains no guarantee of freedom of religion or freedom of conscience. Indeed, it contains very few provisions dealing with rights — in essence, it is a Constitution that confines itself mainly to prescribing a framework for federal government, setting out the various powers of government and limiting them as between federal and state governments and the three branches of government without attempting to define the rights of citizens except in minor respects. […] Whether Australia should have a national bill of rights has been a controversial issue for quite some time. This is despite the fact that Australia has acceded to the ICCPR, as well as the First Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, thereby accepting an international obligation to bring Australian law into line with the ICCPR, an obligation that Australia has not discharged. Australia is the only country in the Western world without a national bill of rights.4 The chapters that follow in this book debate the situation in Australia and in various other Western jurisdictions.' From Foreword by The Hon Sir Anthony Mason AC KBE: Human Rights and Courts

During the 20th century many countries embarked on a process of constitutional secularization by which the role of religion gradually became limited. Yet, by the late 20th century, and increasingly following the end of the Cold War, this development began to be challenged. This book examines the return of religion in constitutions through the concept of constitutional de-secularization. It places this phenomenon in the context of the constitutional memory of the countries in which it has taken place and critically examines it against the development and standards of constitutionalism, as the prevailing constitutional legal and political theory. Central to this analysis is the impact of constitutional de-secularization on the regulation of equality in liberty, that is, both the regulation of constitutional rights and the scope for equality of those who are granted such rights. The book argues that equal liberty forms an essential part of constitutionalism as a theory, and that constitutionalism therefore entails a continuous development towards expanding it. The first and second part of the book presents a conceptual framework for the study of constitutional de-secularization. The third part presents and analyses three cases of constitutional de-secularization in Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. The book will be of interest to researchers and policy-makers interested in constitutional history and theory, and the role of religion in law and its compatibility with human rights.

Offering an interdisciplinary, international and philosophical perspective, this comprehensive Research Handbook explores both perennial and recent legal issues that concern the modern state and its interaction with religious communities and individuals.

The New Zealand Bill of Rights is a comprehensive account of over a decade of jurisprudence under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990. The Book provides an indepth examination of the Act, covering such topics as the benefits and burdens of rights; principles of interpretation; impact on legislation and the legislative process; judical review; civil and political rights; the rights of persons subjected to criminal investigation and prosecution; trial procedures; powers of law enforcement; and remedies for breach. Combining descriptive, analytical and prognostic scholarship, the extensive detail of the New Zealand Bill of Rights marks it as a standard reference text for this important body of the New Zealand law.