Neil Foster
Neil Foster is an Evangelical Christian and Associate Professor in Law, Australia. He is a husband, father and grandfather. He blogs at Law and Religion Australia.
Articles by Neil Foster:
20 February 2024
6.1 MINS
Religious freedom in NSW is protected in very limited ways at the moment, but one of those ways is by “balancing clauses” included as part of the discrimination law. The amendments to s56, if enacted, would radically undermine the freedom of religious groups to operate in accordance with their faith.
19 April 2023
17.3 MINS
The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) has now released a Consultation Paper for its current reference on “Religious Educational Institutions and Anti-Discrimination Laws”. The paper, while formally acknowledging the importance of religious freedom and parental rights, will be a serious disappointment to those involved in [...]
24 February 2023
12.1 MINS
Just before Christmas, a significant religious discrimination decision was handed down in the Western Australian State Administrative Tribunal. In HORDYK and WANSLEA FAMILY SERVICES INC [2022] WASAT 117 (23 December 2022), the Tribunal held that Mr and Mrs Hordyk had been indirectly discriminated against on [...]
29 June 2022
11.4 MINS
The fresh anti-discrimination legislation in the Australian Capital Territory will reduce religious freedom even further, applying the strictures upon faith-based schools to other religious institutions like hospitals and aged care, and even places of worship or university student societies. The Australian Capital Territory government has [...]
2 February 2022
6.2 MINS
The above heading doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? Isn’t that what one would expect, that a school set up to educate students in a particular religious view would apply those beliefs in its practices? But the press in Australia sees it differently, apparently. “School [...]
26 January 2021
4.1 MINS
The New South Wales Government is currently inviting comment on draft legislation entitled the Children’s Guardian Amendment (Child Safe Scheme) Bill 2020. The legislation has been drawn up in response to the work of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, and [...]