Liberal Burblings

It’s worth emphasising this quotation from the judgment of Mr Justice Ouseley on the Bideford Council case:

The saying of prayers in a local authority chamber before a formal meeting of such a body is lawful provided councillors are not formally summoned to attend.

That paragraph follows on directly after his main judgment:

A local authority has no powers under section 111 of the Local Government Act 1972 to hold prayers as part of a formal local authority meeting or to summon councillors to such a meeting at which prayers are on the agenda.

Eric Pickles has been saying that this judgment interferes with the right of worship. It is very difficult to see how that follows. Councillors can still pray together, as they wish, before meetings. What the judgment precludes is actually having the prayers on the formal agenda and having councillors formally summoned to attend those prayers (even if the councillors are of a different religion or atheist).

It seems a perfectly fair and balanced judgment to me. Bear in mind that (as it was explained to me when I became a councillor) when a councillor is summoned to a meeting he or she can, theoretically, be compelled to attend the meeting through the officers of the local constabulary. It’s a very formal thing. Councillors, for example, have to attend a certain amount of meetings to keep their council seat. There’s nothing informal or voluntary about it.

Related posts:

1. Bideford Town Council prayers legal wrangle leads to fears for Coronation Oath
2. Bideford Council loses court battle over prayers during meetings
3. Prayers for Anthea and Michael Hill
4. Prayers for Cumbria
5. Prayers for Louisiana